Maharashtra bypolls: NCP's Praful Patel lashed out at Election Commission official over faulty EVMs
A fourth of voting machines or EVMs allegedly failed as bypolls took place in the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra on Monday. Former union minister Praful Patel said he was "shocked" at claims that the machines had failed because of excessive heat. "In April too, it is 45 degrees. Do you mean to say we should not have elections in summer?" the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader questioned, speaking to NDTV.
Mr Patel, who lost in the constituency in the 2014 election, said the NCP had complained formally to the Election Commission that 25 per cent of the machines didn't work.
The same machines, he said, had been used recently in Gujarat's Surat.
Voting was stopped in many parts of the constituency and efforts were on to replace the machines as voters waited in the blistering heat.
Mr Patel pointed out that VVPAT or Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines, which eject slips to confirm the voter's choice were not functioning. "As and when re-polling takes place, will we be able to count every slip," asked Mr Patel.
In Bhandara-Gondia in Vidarbha, out of over 2,000 polling booths, 71 are situated in Naxal-hit areas and 113 are listed as critical.
The BJP and the NCP are in a direct contest in the constituency, where by-polls are being held after the resignation of BJP parliamentarian Nana Patole.
Mr Patole, who switched from the Congress and joined the BJP before contesting in 2014, defeated Praful Patel in the constituency.
The NCP has allied with the Congress and has fielded former BJP lawmaker Madhukar Kukde against the BJP's Hemant Patole.
The results will be out on May 31.