Faulty EVMs delay election proceedings in AP; polling goes late into the night
Amaravati: Polling was going on in over 300 booths late into Thursday night in different districts of Andhra Pradesh as faulty EVMs hampered voting in the day.
Though the scheduled polling time ended at 6.00 pm, voters in the queue waiting outside the booths were being allowed to exercise their franchise.
"Even if it is midnight, those in the queue by 6.00 pm can cast their votes," state Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi said.
Till 6.00 pm, over 74 per cent voting was recorded for 175 assembly and 25 LoK Sabha seats in the state
In more than 380 booths, technical glitches in EVMs hampered polling during the days. As a result scores of voters returned home after a long wait.
After the authorities rectified the defects and replaced some of the faulty EVMs, the poll process resumed.
The voters who reached respective polling stations before the scheduled close were being allowed to fulfil their obligation.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh, who is contesting the Mangalagiri Assembly seat, staged a protest at a polling station in Tadepalli town late Thursday night alleging lack of provision of basic facilities for the voters.
"Voters are made to wait in queue for hours because the EVMs and VVPATs did not function. Not even drinking water was available for them," Lokesh said.
The minister was, however, jeered by opposition YSR Congress workers. They raised slogans asking Lokesh to "go back" and not disturb the poll process.
Tension prevailed at the polling station as TDP workers tried to hit back.
Guntur Urban SP Vijaya Rao reached the spot and asked Lokesh to leave. The TDP leader, however, remained adamant and picked up an argument with the officials.
"I am a minister, remember. I have every right to be here," he said. However, the police managed to disperse the two sides soon.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
