Bypolls 2018: Parties play blame game over faulty EVMs, EC says reports exaggerated

By Oneindia Staff Writer

| Updated: Monday, May 28, 2018, 22:45 [IST]

Bypolls to four Lok Sabha constituencies, including the politically-crucial Kairana, and ten assembly seats in 10 states were held on Monday amid complaints that electronic voting machines were not working at some places.

SP demands re-polling in booths where voting got delayed by over 1.5 hrs

Polling was held for Lok Sabha seats are Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra and the sole parliamentary constituency in Nagaland. The by-elections will also be held in Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Shahkot (Punjab), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia and Silli (Jharkhand), Chengannur (Kerala), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra), Ampati (Meghalaya), Tharali (Uttarakhand) and Maheshtala (West Bengal). Counting will take place on May 31.

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11:51 PM, 28 May

EVM machines are sensitive to heat and dust. We knew about it and were prepared for it. We had engineers to tackle the problem, says EC official

10:40 PM, 28 May

Malfunctioning was reported in 384 VVPAT machines. Of this 29 were in Noorpur. Apart from this, three EVMs also malfunctioned in Shamli.

10:40 PM, 28 May

54% turnout in Kairana, 61% in Noorpur Kairana parliamentary constituency has five assembly segments -- Shamli, Thana Bhawan and Kairana in Shamli district, and Gangoh and Nakur in Saharanpur district

9:25 PM, 28 May

They said, the voting percentage in Ampati was 90.42 per cent, in Gomia and Silli it was 62.61 and 75.5 per cent respectively, while 70 per cent voting was recorded till 5 pm in Maheshtala, and Jokikhat registered 53 per cent polling till 5 pm.

9:25 PM, 28 May

According to election commission sources, there were no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere.

9:24 PM, 28 May

The Lok Sabha and Assembly byolls in northeastern and eastern states passed off peacefully today amid tight security with 70 per cent voters exercising their franchise for the lone parliamentary seat in Nagaland, election commission sources said.

8:34 PM, 28 May

54.17% polling in Kairana bypoll and 61% IN Noorpur assembly bypoll: EC

8:34 PM, 28 May

54.17% polling in Kairana bypoll and 61% IN Noorpur assembly bypoll: EC

8:33 PM, 28 May

Some VVPAT machines malfunctioned at the time of voting. It was due to scorching heat. We solved the problem by repairing most of them. The machines which could not repaired, were immediately replaced. News of re-polling is wrong, says Abhimanya Kale, Bhandara DM.

8:26 PM, 28 May

"The polling percentage till 5pm is 70.01," said an Election Commission official

7:58 PM, 28 May

Counting of votes for Shahkot assembly seat to take place on May 31

7:39 PM, 28 May

75%and 62% voter turnout recorded in Jharkhand’s Silli and Gomia assembly constituencies, says Chief Electoral Officer L Khiyante.

7:39 PM, 28 May

Former Punjab home minister Brij Bhupinder Lalli has been arrested for taking his licensed revolver inside the polling booth in Malsian.

6:51 PM, 28 May

In Maharashtra, Election Commission officer said 156 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) or EVMs were replaced. Reports said defective machines hit polling in both Palghar and Bhandara-Ghondiya.

6:51 PM, 28 May

Mriganka Singh, BJP Candidate from Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls, says, "There was massive technical snag in the EVMs and total breakdown of systems. My supporters went back without voting as machines were not working. My party leaders have approached the EC regarding the matter."

5:56 PM, 28 May

BJP delegation met EC officials in Delhi over reports of malfunctioning in EVMs during by-polls today.

5:46 PM, 28 May

All the electors who are in the queue in the polling booth, at the time of close of voting, should be facilitated to cast their votes. This is given due publicity by the concerned district election machinery in the polling areas, says Election Commission

5:39 PM, 28 May

69% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in Shahkot assembly by-election in Punjab

5:39 PM, 28 May

70.01% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in Maheshtala assembly by-poll in West Bengal.

4:46 PM, 28 May

"The issues were being faced in VVPAT machines and not EVMs. The problem has been solved now. Some machines have been replaced at some booths. The voting is now running smoothly," says Vikram Singh, District Magisterate of Shamli

4:32 PM, 28 May

SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, says, " After multi-party delegation met Election Commission over by-polls in Kairana and Noorpur. We demanded from EC, re-polling in places where more than 1 and a half hours were wasted and extra time after 6 pm for voters in places where less time was wasted so that they can vote."

4:18 PM, 28 May

The Election Commission termed as "exaggerated projection of reality" reports of 'large scale' failure of EVMs during Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, reports PTI

3:53 PM, 28 May

The voter turn out in Maheshtala was recorded at 67 percent till 3 pm.

3:53 PM, 28 May

41% votes polled till 3 pm in Raja Rajeswari Nagar constituency of Bengaluru. Moderate polling has been recorded in the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency amid tight security, an official said on Monday.

3:25 PM, 28 May

Over 40 percent polling was recorded till 1 pm in Shahkot Assembly constituency of Punjab. "44 percent polling has been recorded till 1 pm in Shahkot Assembly constituency," Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju told PTI.

2:54 PM, 28 May

The Election Commission clarified that that there were no cancellations in Bhandara-Gondiya, according to News18. Earlier, there were reports that polling was cancelled in at least 35 polling stations after serious malfunctioning in the VVPAT EVMs.

2:44 PM, 28 May

Leaders from both parties are set to meet EC officials at 3.15 pm, as per reports.

2:44 PM, 28 May

Punjab Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar holds press conference while bypoll is underway in Shahkot. Jakhar attacks Modi government over petrol prices, says state government is about to waive off farm loans. SAD has filed complaint with CEO as opposition alleges violation of model code of conduct.

2:09 PM, 28 May

19.25% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in #Palghar by-poll Maharashtra

2:03 PM, 28 May

Dr Prashant Narnaware, Returning Officer on Palghar by-poll, says, "Encountered problems and panic in the initial hours. Nothing has happened after 12 pm. The new machines are working properly. We are in consultation with Central Election Commission about extension of voting time."

6:05 AM, 28 May

Polls will also be held in RR Nagar (Karnataka) Rajrajeswari Nagary Assembly seat in Karnataka, will also go on polls for which was suspended following the recovery of nearly 10,000 voter ID cards from a flat in the constituency. Both BJP and Congress had indulged in a blame game after officials said prima facie that most of the voter ID cards recovered seemed genuine.

6:05 AM, 28 May

The by-election in Meghalaya's Ampati seat will witness a fight between the Congress and the BJP-backed National Peoples Party. An independent candidate is also in the fray. Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has vacated the Ampati seat which necessitated the by-poll.

6:06 AM, 28 May

Though there are five candidates in the fray, the Tharali Assembly by-poll in Uttarakhand is likely to be a straight contest between BJP and Congress.

6:06 AM, 28 May

The by-poll in Mahestala Assembly seat in West Bengal will mainly witness a three-corner contest with the ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP and the Left Front in the fray. TMC has fielded Dulal Chandra Das, husband of MLA Kasturi Das who passed away in February, while CPM has gone with Pravat Chowdhury. The BJP has put up Sujit Kumar Ghosh.

6:06 AM, 28 May

In Jharkhand's Gomia Assembly seat, though there is a total of 13 candidates, but the main contest is between BJPs Madhavlal Singh, AJSU's Lambodar Mahto and Jharkhand Mukti Morchas Babita Devi, wife of disqualified MLA Yogendra Mahto. In Silli, , of the total ten candidates, the main contest will be between the former deputy chief minister and AJSU president Sudesh Mahto and Seema Mahto, wife of disqualified MLA Amit Mahto.

6:06 AM, 28 May

Amid alliances, break-ups, and splits, the Sahkot bypoll in Punjab is emerging as a high-octane contest between Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dali (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Shahkot bypoll was necessitated following the death of SAD MLA Ajit Singh Kohar.

6:06 AM, 28 May

The Bhandara-Gondiya and Palghar Lok Sabha seats are also going to be a prestige battle for BJP, as these seats were previously being held by the BJP. By-election to Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat was necessitated when in early December 2017, sitting member Nana Patole quit the BJP and the Lok Sabha seat to join the Congress, while the Palghar seat in north Konkan fell vacant after sitting BJP MP Chintaman Vanga died on 30 January following a heart attack.

6:07 AM, 28 May

The by-poll in Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon was necessitated because of the death of sitting Congress MLA and former minister Patangrao Kadam.

6:07 AM, 28 May

The by-poll in Kerala's Chengannur constituency was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA KK Ramachangran Nair (CPM) in January this year. Chengannur has always voted for the Congress except on four occasions when it went with the communists.

6:07 AM, 28 May

In Bihar, it would be another test of strength between Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) and RJD of Lalu Prasad at Jokihat in Araria district. The by-election to the Jokihat Assembly seat in Bihar has been necessitated due to the resignation of JD(U) MLA Sarfaraz Alam, who quit the party earlier this year and got elected on an RJD ticket to the Lok Sabha from Araria, a seat held by his late father Mohammad Taslimuddin.

6:07 AM, 28 May

The by-election will also be held in the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat which was necessitated after the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio, now chief minister of Nagaland, resigned as a Lok Sabha member in February. It will be a test of strength between the candidate of the Naga People's Front (NPF) supported by Congress and the nominee of the ruling People's Democratic Alliance (PDA).

6:08 AM, 28 May

The contest in Kairana will be watched with considerable interest also because BJP is fielding Mriganka Singh, daughter of the sitting MP Hukum Singh whose death necessitated the by-election. Mriganka had unsuccessfully contested Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in 2017 from Kairana where she was defeated by Nahid Hasan, son of former MP, the late Munawar Hasan, by over 21,000 votes

7:09 AM, 28 May

Polling has begun for the by-elections. The by-polls are being held in 4 Lok Sabha and 10 assembly constituencies

7:31 AM, 28 May

All eyes are on the Kairana Lok Sabha constituency. Voting got underway here a while ago. This is yet another big test for the BJP which takes on a joint opposition.

7:31 AM, 28 May

Voting is underway at the Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency in Bengaluru. Polling in this constituency was postponed owing to a huge Voter ID scam. A Court had recently ordered filing of cases against the Congress candidate, Muniratna.

7:45 AM, 28 May

In Kerala, Saji Cherian, Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate for Chengannur assembly by-poll arrives at SNDP Lower Primary School polling station in Kozhuvalloor village to cast his vote

8:06 AM, 28 May

Polling is underway at the Maheshtala assembly constituency in West Bengal.

8:16 AM, 28 May

Security heightened in the wake of voting in RR Nagar. 10 CRPF platoons, 15 KSRP platoons, 9 flying squads deployed to prevent untoward incidents

8:17 AM, 28 May

In Kairana ByPoll, Voting stalled at Public Inter College, Kairana due to faulty VVPAT

8:38 AM, 28 May

Voting is underway in West Bengal's Maheshtala assembly constituency. It was necessitated with the death of MLA Kasturi Das. Her husband Dulal das is contesting on behalf of TMC.

8:49 AM, 28 May

Voting underway at a polling station for Bhandara Lok Sabha by-poll seat

8:51 AM, 28 May

Bihar: Voting underway at a polling booth for Jokihat assembly by-poll

8:52 AM, 28 May

Reports of EVM malfunctioning in at least 7 polling centres in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh

9:03 AM, 28 May

Congress and Shiv Sena are both not contesting the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat where the main fight is between Hemant Patle of the BJP and Madhukar Kukde of the NCP.

9:03 AM, 28 May

Five percent voting was recorded in Bihar's Jokihat till 8am.

9:11 AM, 28 May

Mriganka Singh, BJP's Kairana candidate, says, "It was only development and good governance, that we have focused on. If you want to have a better future for Kairana, vote for BJP".

9:26 AM, 28 May

In Uttarakhand, Polling agents of all political parties demand a new Electronic Voting Machines (EVM ) after mock poll at a polling booth in Sarpani was stalled due to faulty EVM

9:30 AM, 28 May

Polling agents of all political parties demand a new Electronic Voting Machines (EVM ) after mock poll at a polling booth in Uttarakhand's Sarpani was stalled due to faulty EVM.

9:32 AM, 28 May

According to reports, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’, who was arrested for his alleged role in the Thakur-Dalit clash in Saharanpur last year, has announced his support for the joint opposition candidate Tabassum Hasan in the Kairana bypolls

9:40 AM, 28 May

Maharashtra: Voting has not started at polling booth number 170 in Arjun-Morgaon area of Gondiya, due to faulty EVM

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Bypolls 2018: Parties play blame game over faulty EVMs, EC says reports exaggerated

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