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CPM sees red in malfunctioning of EVMs

By Correspondent

AGARTALA, Feb 21 - In a stunning development, the ruling CPI (M) has demanded counting of VVPAT slips attached to EVMs of 13 Assembly constituencies after malfunction of these electronic voting devices were officially reported.

The Assembly constituencies in which counting of VVPAT slips has been demanded included Simna, Takarjala, Mohanpur, Asharambari, Mandwai Bazar, Banamalipur, Dhanpur, Dharmanagar, Panisagar, RK Pur, Matabari and Suryamaninagar.

CPI (M) central secretariat member Nilotpal Bose on Tuesday met Chief Election Commissioner Omprakash Rawat in Delhi and submitted a memorandum stating malfunctioning of VVPATs/EVMs in 519 polling booths of the total 3,174 polling stations on the day of polling on February 18.

�There were failure of EVMs (the entire apparatus of control unit, ballot unit and VVPAT) in large number of booths on the day of polling. Out of 3,174 polling booths of 59 Assembly segments, EVMs disorder disorder in 519 polling booths (16.35 per cent) which is really unusual�, Bose pointed out in the memorandum.

He continued, �In some booths, the machines were first tried to repair. Even after repair the EVMs repeatedly went out of order. Large number of machines, either Control unit or ballot unit or VVPATs were replaced by other units. In many booths, even the replaced units failed to function properly�.

In the letter, the party alleged, �despite expressing our concerns over the presence of outsiders, major display of money power and on the functioning of the EVM-VVPAT units, some substantial issues have arisen in course of the polling�.

When contacted, MP Jitendra Chowdhury of CPI (M) on Wednesday confirmed submission of memorandum on the CEC�s table seeking counting of VVPATs. �We did not press for re-polling of these constituencies but there must be a thorough check of 519 booths where polling was badly affected due to malfunctioning of either VVPATs or EVMs�, he confirmed.

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