Bangalore: The Election Commission will hold repolling on April 29 in 12 polling stations across Karnataka, where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had malfunctioned on the day of polling, April 17.
The polling booths facing repoll represent the nine parliamentary constituencies of Haveri, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Shimoga, Hassan and Tumkur. In Bidar, Bagalkot and Raichur constituencies, the EC has recommended repolling in two polling stations each.
The model code of conduct will be enforced from April 27 in the districts where these polling stations are located. As many as 10,000 to 15,000 voters will get to cast their vote again. Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha on Saturday said re-polling is being held due to technical snags. The snags were reported in 11 of the 12 polling stations, wherein there were doubts if the votes cast were registered in the EVMs.
“In Turuvekere Assembly segment under Tumkur Parliamentary constituency, a complaint was received that the polling officers in Polling Station No 8 entered the voting enclosure and tried to tamper with the EVMs. We have suspended the four polling officers and an inquiry is on,” said Jha.
The CEO said the right index finger of voters will be marked with indelible ink during repoll.
Jha said the EC has decided to enforce the model code in the districts where the polling stations facing repoll are registered as the stations may represent a particular LS seat but the assembly segment where they are located may be in a different district.
For instance, Baindur Assembly constituency is part of Shimoga LS seat but the model code will be in force in Udupi district as Baindur falls under that district.
Accordingly, the model code will be in force in the nine districts of Haveri, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Hassan, Tumkur and Udupi till the evening of April 29. The poll timings will remain unchanged, between 7 am and 6 pm.
In all, the EC had identified 93 polling stations where EVMs developed technical snags on the day of polling. But Jha said the EC engineers confirmed the need for re-poll only in 11 stations. “In most cases we expect that the votes polled will be recovered despite technical problem. On account of a doubt that in the 11 booths the votes polled may not be recovered, the CEC directed us to conduct re-polling,” he added.
