Re-poll in 123 polling stations of UP, Maharashtra, Nagaland

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 29

Amid controversy around alleged faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines during bypolls for Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies across 10 states held yesterday, the Election Commission (EC) has ordered re-poll in 73 polling stations (PSs) in Kairana (UP) and 49 PSs in Bhandara-Gondiya (Maharashtra) Parliamentary seats on Wednesday. 

Fresh voting in one polling station in Nagaland parliamentary seat will also take place tomorrow.

In its order the commission said following the confirmed report of malfunctioning of paper trail machines, it has been decided to conduct fresh poll in 73 PSs in Kairana and 49 PSs in Bhandara-Gondiya and one PS in Nagaland.

Separate notifications for the re-poll have been issued in Lucknow, Kohima and Mumbai, official sources said.

Meanwhile, in a statement the official spokesperson of the EC also confirmed that the poll panel has ordered transfer of the Gondiya Collector, who was the returning officer for the polls held on Monday. New Collector has assumed the charge. All preparations for re-poll to be held on May 30, 2018 are in place, it added.

Over 11 per cent of the 10,300 VVPAT machines across 10 states had developed faults and had to be replaced during Monday polling.