Snag in EVM halts counting in TN agri minister's constituency

Vellore, May 11 (UNI) A piquant situation arose when the counting of votes in the May 8 assembly elections had to be stopped in the final stages when the AIADMK candidate and agriculture Minister K Pandurangan was ahead by a mere 39 votes against PMK nominee Mrs Varalakshmi at Anaicut constituency in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu today.

The counting process had to be stopped when the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) of Chinnapallikuppam booth showed 'zero entry of votes polled though according to the list, 677 votes were polled from the booth, official sources told UNI.

Visibly upset agents of Mr Pandurangan suggested to the officials that repoll be held for that booth while Mrs Varalakshmi's agents and union minister of state for Railways R Velu raised doubts over the entire election process in the constituency and demanded repoll.

Senior officials and the returning officer of the constituency were holding discussions with both parties to sort out the issue.

Meanwhile, electronic engineers from Chennai also rushed to the counting centres to attend to the snag in the EVM.

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