Snags in EVMs in different states

new delhi — Like in the previous two phases of Lok Sabha elections held on April 11 and April 18, snags in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reported from different polling stations spread across the 13 states and two Union Territories which went to the polls in the third phase on Tuesday.

In Kerala, poll officials said that EVMs failed to function in some booths and were subsequently replaced. Many leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, expressed their concern over the faulty voting machines.

In Wayanad, from where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is contesting, the NDA candidate Thushar Vellappally demanded re-polling after glitches were found in an EVM at a polling station.

In Uttar Pradesh, Abdullah Azam Khan, son of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan who is contesting from the Rampur Lok Sabha seat, alleged that over 300 EVMs were not functioning properly. SP candidate from Badaun Dharmendra Yadav lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against the malfunctioning of EVMs and accused the district administration of conspiring for his defeat.

In the Rohilkhand region of the state, glitches were reportedly found in around 60 EVMs. Twenty-seven cases were reported from Badaun, followed by Bareilly (14), Moradabad (11), Sambhal (7), Pilibhit (5) and Aonla (5).

Taking to Twitter, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav said: “EVMs across India malfunctioning or voting for the BJP. DMs say poll officials untrained to operate EVMs. 350+ being replaced. This is criminal negligence for a polling exercise that costs 50,000 crs.”

In Karnataka, glitches in EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) machines in many polling stations delayed or held up voting in the initial hours. Polling could not begin in one of the booths in the Bagalkot seat due to EVM malfunctioning. Similarly, a glitch in a VVPAT machine held up voting in booth number 106 at Hubbali in Dharwad seat in the state’s northwest region for about 30 minutes.

EVM and VVPAT malfunctions were also reported from Belgaum, Bellary (ST), Bidar, Bijapur (SC), Chikkodi, Davanagere, Gulbarga (SC), Koppal and Raichur (ST) constituencies.

In Bihar, technical glitches in EVMs reportedly delayed the balloting process in Khagaria, Madhepura and Araria.

In West Bengal, glitches in EVMs were reported at a few polling stations in the Malda North seat, stalling voting for some time.

In Goa, all the EVMs at a polling station in the Cuncolim Assembly constituency in South Goa were replaced following reports of malfunctioning, said the Chief Electoral Officer of the state. —