EVM glitches reported in several areas in Delhi

Complaints about malfunctioning EVMs poured in from several places of the national capital on Sunday where voting is underway.

Adarsh Gupta, a resident of Matia Mahal area, claimed that at polling booths 84, 85 and 86, electronic voting machines were not working in the morning.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti alleged that EVMs at booths 116,117 and 122 were not functioning.

“EVM in booth 132, Hauzrani is showing 50 votes without anyone casting any vote in the machine n EVMs at booths 116,117, 122 in Malviya nagar not functioning,” Bharti tweeted.

Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said 5.5 per cent EVMs were replaced in the morning, adding that problems in EVMs were reported from Chandni Chowk and West Delhi.

“Mock polls happened in the morning and where machines were found defective they were replaced. 5.5 per cent EVMs were replaced during morning hours and that might have caused delay in start of polling,” Singh said.

Mudit Agarwal, son of Congress’s Chandni Chowk candidate JP Agarwal, alleged EVMs malfunctioned at some booths in Matia Mahal and Ballimaran assembly segments.

According to a police official, they received information about an EVM not working at Begum Pur in Rohini but the issue was addressed.

AAP’s Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh alleged that EVMs at polling booth number 27 were not working in the morning.

“At Prithivi Park polling booth in Tilak Nagar assembly segment, EVMs had not been working since 7 am at polling booth 27. It is the same area where AAP’s vote bank is considered,” Singh said.

He said the Election Commission claimed that faulty EVMs are changed within ten minutes, but at ground, such claims are telling a different story.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said voters were unable to find if their votes were cast in Najafgarh constituency.

“Voters unable to find their votes at polling booths. It is true that on large scale votes have been deleted. All these are residents of Jai Vihar I, Najafgarh,” he tweeted.

Over 1.43 crore people in Delhi are eligible to vote in this election which will decide the fate of 164 candidates, of which 18 are women. There are 43 independent candidates.

While 2,54,723 voters are in the age group of 18 and 19, there are 40,532 electorate with disability who would be provided pick up and drop facility.

The counting of votes will take place on May 23.