West Bengal repoll: EVM malfunction halts voting for over an hour

Repolling at a booth in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas was halted for over an hour on Saturday due to an EVM malfunction, causing long queues and frustrating voters. The repolling was being held across 15 booths in two constituencies.

Repolling in one of the polling booths in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district was halted for over an hour on Saturday morning after an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioned.

Various electors had to wait in the queue for over an hour amid the malfunction as repolling started early morning at 7 AM across 15 polling booths in the Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim assembly constituencies.

Expressing frustration over the incident, one voter asked the officials to clarify the situation or, instead, just shut the booth. "If it is not happening (voting), close the booth, tell us and we will go home. Why are we standing here? Why are we here? It has been more than half an hour, they should close it, so that we can go home," said the elector.

Repolling Details and Reactions

Repoll started at 7 AM today under heightened security arrangements across 15 polling booths in Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim assembly constituencies.

However, electors in another booth in Diamond Harbour said that the repolling in their booth was "fine", while acknowledging that there were irregularities with polling on April 29 After voting at booth number 117, in Diamond Harbour constituency, a voter told ANI, "It was fine earlier too, it is fine now as well. Such things (re-polling) keep happening. There is no problem."

Another voter at the booth stated, "The machine was malfunctioning the last time. It is fine in the re-polling."

Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed near the polling booth to prevent any disruptions during the voting process.

The re-polling comes after BJP's West Bengal co-incharge, Amit Malviya, alleged that voters were prevented from choosing the party candidate at several polling booths in Falta under the Diamond Harbour constituency during phase two of the Assembly elections in the State.

Key Candidates in Fray

The BJP has fielded Dipak Kumar Halder against TMC's sitting MLA Panna Lal Halder in Diamond Harbour.

In the Magrahat Paschim constituency, TMC's Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP's Goursundar Ghosh. The seat has been held by the TMC MLA Gias Uddin Molla since its formation in 2011.

The counting of votes will take place on May 4. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)