Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Tuesday, April 23, that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) across India were malfunctioning, as the third phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections was underway.
Image Courtesy: Akhilesh yadav , PTI
Yadav tweeted, “EVMs across India malfunctioning or voting for the BJP. DMs say poll officials untrained to operate EVMs. 350+ being replaced. This is criminal negligence for a polling exercise that costs 50,000 crs”.
EVM glitches were reported in Tripura, as well as in Bihar, Goa, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh. The Hindu reported on Tuesday morning about four polling locations in East Tripura where EVMs had run into snags.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, voters said votes for the Congress’s hand symbol had gone to the BJP’s lotus symbol, per the Hindustan Times. Kerala Congress MLA M. Vincent said that a complaint had been filed with the returning officer, and that the district collector was looking into the issue. Collect K. Vasuki said this was a technical error, that machine in question had been replaced, and that the VVPAT slips would be counted later, the Hindustan Times said. Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena said machines malfunctioned after absorbing moisture following rains on the previous night.
The Hindustan Times reported that Thushar Vellappally, the NDA candidate in Kerala’s Wayanad constituency, where Congress president Rahul Gandhi is also contesting, also sought a repoll after an EVM glitched. In South Goa, officials directed that a machine be replaced after it was found that it was adding votes for the BJP during a required mock voting exercise.