Repolling in 73 stations of UP's Kairana tomorrow after reports of EVM snags

Mumbai: Election Commission on Tuesday ordered repolling in 73 polling station in Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana and 49 booths in Bhandara–Gondiya Lok Sabha seat of Maharashtra on May 30 following widespread technical snags in voting machines during Monday’s bypolls.

The poll panel has also ordered fresh poll at one polling station in Nagaland.

However, there will be no change in the date on which results will be declared.

Counting of votes will be done on May 31.

Both the Opposition and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had alleged that the electronic voting machines and VVPATs at these polling booths were faulty and that it could impact the outcome of the elections.

In Kairana, the highest of 45 booths would go to repolls in Gangoh, followed by 23 in Nakur, four in Shamli and one in Thana Bhawan, and around 80,000 voters will exercise their franchise, reports said.

Over 11 per cent of the 10,300 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), machines across 10 states had developed faults and had to be replaced on Monday.

A total of 54 per cent polling was recorded in Kairana seat on Monday, which fell vacant due to the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh.

In Bhandara-Gondiya, voter turnout was recorded at 42 per cent.