COIMBATORE: A bonhomie can be born between arch rivals when they spend time in close quarters and share tough times together. This is true for agents of different political parties, who are appointed to monitor strong rooms, where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are kept after elections. EVMs used for the elections to the Assembly constituencies in Coimbatore district were moved to the strong room set up at Government College of Technology (GCT) after the April 6 polls.
The political parties and independent candidates deputed their agents to monitor the room. A three-tier police security and CCTV cameras too monitor the room 24x7 till the counting day (May 2). Even if the political parties the agents are associated with are arch rivals, the scene at the counting centre is quite different. The agents say they keep the political rivalry away, engage in casual chat and share food and water. “But, we avoid bringing politics in out talks.
Usually, the candidates take care of our food expenses. Before 2011, each agent used to buy food with their own money. That year, Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani, then Thondamuthur AIADMK candidate, started a practice of providing food to those engaged in counting centre monitoring work irrespective of their party association, on a daily basis. They serve biriyani and other non-vegetarian food. As per the practice, the candidate from a main party will sponsor three meals in a day,” said SK Vijayan, who has been working as an agent for the AIAD MK since 1989 polls and presently the agent for Valparai AIADMK candidate T K Amul Kandasami.
“We would be friendly with all the agents irrespective of the party they belong to. Otherwise, it would be hard to spend those days till counting of votes takes place,” he said and added that the practice of sponsoring food by each candidate to all agents for one day was missing during 2016 elections due to the situation which prevailed on those days. C Boobalan, an agent for Thondamuthur DMK candidate Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, said they used to be friendly with AIADMK men. “As on Friday, as many as 60 agents of various candidates are staying at a temporary shed set up in 20 feet width and 16 feet length.
Here, we have no option other than seeing the footage telecasted on three televisions in the room. It is hard to kill the time without interacting with each other,” he said. A Abdul Wahab, Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate for Coimbatore South, said, “Even though I have nominated three agents for monitoring work at the GCT, it hard for them to stay there round the clock. Hence, we speak with agents of other parties, including Makkal Needhi Maiam, Congress, DMK and AIAD MK, to get in touch for update on what is happening at the counting centre.” According to political party cadre, since independent candidates can not afford to send agents to counting centres, they sell their passes to major parties for up to Rs 50,000.
Using the passes, the political parties can nominate more of their cadre for the monitoring work at the counting centre. A candidate can nominate a chief agent and three agents for the monitoring work at a counting centre. Three agents of a political party or an independent candidate can stay at the place allotted for the agents day and night on a rotational basis. From the allotted place, the agents can watch the live CCTV footage telecasted from the strong room.