Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh YadavPhoto : IANSLucknow: The Election Commission categorically rejected Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s EVMs ‘stolen’ in Varanasi allegations, and stated that the voting machines that were transported were for training officials on counting duty and were not used in the Uttar Pradesh election 2022. The chief electoral officer of UP issued a statement late Tuesday night saying that people of a political party were spreading rumour by stopping the vehicle and alleged that these EVMs were used in recently concluded polls.EC’s reaction comes after Yadav alleged that voting machines are being tampered with and the Varanasi district magistrate is transporting them without informing local candidates.”According to the report sent by the District Election Officer (of Varanasi), it was found during the investigation that these EVMs were marked for training. To train the officials involved in counting duty, training has been organised for March 9 (Wednesday),” the poll panel said.In a sensational claim, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that a top official in the UP Chief Minister’s secretariat was instructing the district magistrates across Uttar Pradesh to slow down the counting of votes on March 10 where the chances of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates winning the elections are slim.Related NewsAkhilesh Ji kahenge EVM bewafa hai: BJP’s dig at Akhilesh Yadav’s EVM ‘stolen’ claimsUP govt stealing EVMs; counting of votes being slowed down where BJP losing: Akhilesh YadavIt may be noted that alliance partners, including SP leaders Naresh Uttam and Rajendra Chaudhary, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and Janwadi Party’s (Socialist) Sanjay Chauhan submitted a memorandum to the poll panel alleging the “stealing of EVMs in Varanasi”.Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Yadav claimed that a truck carrying EVMs was intercepted by party workers in Varanasi while two other trucks managed to speed away.”If the EVMs were being moved, then the candidates concerned should have been informed as per the Election Commission guidelines. We have videos to prove what we are saying,” the SP president stated.Related NewsUP Elections 2022: Samajwadi Party Candidate Yogesh Verma uses binoculars to keep watch on EVM strongroomFollowing allegations of Yadav, Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma met representatives of several political parties and informed that the 20 EVMs that were being transported were not used in polling and were being sent for training purposes.”About 20 EVMs were being taken to UP College for training. Some political people stopped the vehicle and spread rumours by saying that these EVMs were used in elections. Whereas the strong room is different and this EVM machine caught is different. Tomorrow is the second training of the employees deputed for counting duty and these machines are always used in training for hands-on training,” Sharma said.