Ater, Bandhavgarh go to polls amid EVM controversy

BHOPAL: Preceded by controversies related to the electronic voting machines (EVMs), Ater and Bandhavgarh (ST) assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh go to polls on Sunday.

These by-polls, being held immediately after assembly elections in five states, will decide the fate of 21 candidates in Ater and five in Bandhavgarh although the Congress continues to claim that the EVMs are vulnerable to manipulation.

More than 4 lakh voters in the two constituencies will cast their votes at more than 550 polling stations, mostly in rural areas.

Much to the Congress’ discomfort, the Election Commission through its inquiry found no anomaly and tampering with the EVMs and VVPAT (voter-verified paper audit trail) used for a demonstration by Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer, Saleena Singh, on March 31.

In Ater, Arvind Bhadoria from the BJP and Hemant Katare from the Congress are the main contenders while BJP’s Shivnarayan Singh and Congress candidate Savitri Singh

lock horns in Bandhavgarh.

FIRST TIME VVPAT

POLLS IN RAJASTHAN Bharatpur: In a first for Rajasthan, voters will exercise their franchise on the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trial (VVPAT) machines when Dholpur assembly seats goes to bypoll Sunday. Counting of votes will take place on April 13.

“It is for the first time that VVPAT machines are being used in Rajasthan. Apart from the polling booths, 110 machines have been kept in reserve,” deputy chief election officer Vinod Pareek said.

Election officer Suchi Tyagi said, “Elaborate security arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair elections,” she added.