ITANAGAR, April 20 - Over 80 per cent voters among an electorate of 8,054 exercised their franchise in repolling in 19 polling stations spread across eight districts in Arunachal Pradesh today.
The repolling was ordered following reports of malfunctioning and breakdown of electronic voting machines (EVMs) at some polling booths during the simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held on April 11 last.
�There has been a heavy turnout of voters in the repolling held at 19 polling stations today, recording an 81.30 per cent turnout,� Arunachal Pradesh Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kanki Darang told reporters here.
He, however, said that the figure was likely to increase as reports from the Longkhao village polling station under the Longding-Pumao Assembly constituency in Longding district, which has 1,156 voters, is yet to be received.
Darang said that the Nachiban polling station under the Bomdila Assembly constituency in West Kameng district polled the highest voting percentage at 96.94.
�The repolling has been peaceful by and large,� he said.
Asked about the possibilities of repolling in any other polling station, the Additional CEO said, �There will be repolling in some polling stations in Kra Daadi and Kurung Kumey districts. Reports have been sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI). We are expecting the approved list from the Commission by tomorrow.�
He also said that the total turnout in the State would increase due to the repolling. As per the poll panel, 77.38 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the April 11 polls.
The Additional CEO had earlier stated that in some of these polling stations, voting did not take place on April 11 due to defective EVMs, while in some others, polling was conducted without using the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT). Some EVMs were damaged and some others got wet after the polling due to a road accident.
The results of the polls will be announced on May 23.
