20 EVM, 100 VVPATs develop technical snags in Hoshiarpur

HOSHIARPUR: About one per cent of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported to have developed technical snags during the election for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat on Sunday, whereas the problems related to voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) were assessed at more than 5 per cent.

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, May 19

About one per cent of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported to have developed technical snags during the election for the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat on Sunday, whereas the problems related to voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) were assessed at more than 5 per cent. As many as 20 EVMs were replaced while 100 VVPATs had to be changed.

A major problem in the district reportedly came at a booth in Chabbewal constituency where the EVM failed to work during a mock poll drill. The faulty EVM was replaced but the new achine too did not respond and polling was interrupted for about an hour. Later, voting took place on a new new machine. In villages Nasran and Basi Kalan, there were problems with the machines that were rectified soon.

In Urmar assembly segment, seven machines were found to be faulty during a mock poll drill while eight more cases of technical snags were reported either with the EVMs or VVPAT but were replaced in a short while. In all, at 15 booths belonging to different villages of Urmar, voting was delayed due to technical defects in the EVMs. A major problem was at a booth in village Rarha, where a snag held up polling for around two hours, from 9 am to 11 pm. Similarly, voting was delayed due to the replacement of EVMs in Jaja, Urmar , Sohiyan, Talwandi Jattan, Machhian, Rana, Gill and Khokar Dwakhari villages.

In the same way, voting was affected due to a snag in the polling machines at Nangal Farid, Miani, Dehriwal, Daulowal, Moonak Khurd and Rarha. Voting at these booths resumed after the machines were replaced. Similarly, in a booth at village Giljian that comes in Dasuya constituency, EVM snags were reported. The voters had to keep waiting during this time. A total of 1,911 EVMs were installed in the constituency and the number of VVPAT was also the same. Of these, 14 EVMs were found to have developed snags during a mock poll, which were immediately replaced. Also, 37 VVPAT did not work and had to be changed after a mock poll. Deputy Commissioner Isha Kalia said there was no major complaint of voting being stopped or delayed due to a malfunction in the EVM or VVPAT in the district, Voting was held at a booth in Chabbewal assembly segment but the problem was sorted out soon.