Kairana bypoll: RLD candidate writes to EC over faulty EVMs

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate for Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll on Monday wrote to the Election Commission over faulty EVMs and VVPATs in around 175 polling booths across Shamli, Kairana and Noorpur.

Tabassum Hasan, who spoke to ANI after casting her vote, says, 'Machines are being tampered everywhere, faulty machines haven't been replaced in Muslim and Dalit dominated areas. They (BJP) think they can win polls like this. That won't happen."

"I've been continuously receiving complaints. They didn't expect so many people to come out to vote in Ramzan.Initial strategy was to hold elections in Ramzan so that people won't vote," she said.

Samajwadi Party also raised similiar issue with the Election Commission. SP leader Rajendra Chaudhary, says, "There are reports that in Noorpur 140 EVMs are faulty, which is because they've been tampered, there are similar reports from Kairana. They (BJP) want to avenge defeat in Phulpur and Gorakhpur, which is why they want to defeat us at any cost."

The Kairana Lok Sabha constituency fell vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh is now the party's candidate. She is fighting Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who is supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

The Kairana Lok Sabha seat comprises five assembly segments: Nakur, Gangoh, Kairana, Thana Bhawan and Shamli.