Worried About Malfunctioning EVMs, Both BJP and Congress Seek Re-polling

Bhopal: Miffed with the widespread malfunctioning in the EVMs that disrupted polling at the booths across the state, Congress sought re-polling at places where technical snags delayed polls for three hours or more.

As polling came to a close, recording 75 percent voter turnout, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also sought re-polling at booths where the technical glitches delayed polling, especially in Satna and violence marred Bhind district.

The malfunctioning in voting machines was seen in Control Units, Ballot Units and VVPATs.

"Aaj ke chunaav ki khaasiyat ye hai ki 2 cheezein shanti se nipat gayi, ek to chunaav aur doosra BJP (Two impressive thing about today was that two things ended peacefully: first, the polls and second, the BJP)," a confident looking Congress state chief Kamal Nath told the media.

Kamal Nath flayed the Election Commission (EC) in failing to conduct first level checks of voting machines properly. He said that even the EVMs that were replaced turned out to be faulty.

“We demand that re-polling should be ordered where technical delays stalled polling for upto three hours as it denied several voters the chance to cast their vote,” demanded Nath.

On being asked the possible number of seats the Congress would get, Nath said he had given a figure of 140 seats earlier but seeing the voting trend, we could be in for some surprising results this time. Nath said that the Congress has raised 150 complaints with the EC over various anomalies.

The BJP too handed an application to the EC seeking re-polling. The party said the polling was disrupted for long hours in Satna and said re-polling was necessary. The party also cited example of Bhind where it deems the polling was marred by widespread violence by miscreants.

Polling could not be conducted in free and fair manner and re-polling was required in Bhind, the BJP said in a communiqué.

To add, several polling booths in Bind and Morena saw massive commotion from the miscreants who also fired shots close to several polling booths.

The BJP earlier lodged a complaint with the EC against Kamal Nath and his associates for trying to influence voters at the polling booth when Nath showed his palm (poll symbol of Congress) after casting his vote.

The BJP in another complaint lodged with the EC accused Congress Bhopal North candidate Arif Aqueel of ferrying voters to polling booths in their personal vehicles, breaching poll code.