Repolling in 4 MP polling stations after damage to loaded EVMs

Repolling in 4 MP polling stations after damage to loaded EVMs

Following damage to some loaded Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), four polling stations in the Betul Lok Sabha constituency of Madhya Pradesh would witness re-polling on 10 May.

Voting was conducted in Betul in the third phase of polls on 7 May.

However, when the polling parties were returning in a bus to store the loaded EVMs in the strong room, the bus caught fire resulting in damage to some EVMs. The incident had occurred near the village Sonora Gaura in Betul late at night on 7 May.

According to officials, the indelible ink during the re-polling would be applied on the middle finger of the left hand of voters, as it was already present on their index fingers from the initial voting process.

Officials said that a local holiday has been announced on 10 May in the areas going to re-polling. All liquor shops would also remain closed, as a dry day has also been announced.

The four polling booths where voters would cast their votes again, have been set up at Government Primary School Kunda, Raiyat, Government Integrated High School, Raiyat, Government Integrated High School, Chikhlimal and Government Integrated High School, Rajapur.

The main contest at Betul is between BJP candidate two-time MP Durgadas Uikey and the Congress’ Ramu Tekam.

Betul was among the nine Lok Sabha constituencies of Madhya Pradesh, which went to polls in the third phase on 7 May.