Nearly 10.75 lakh EVMs to be used in polls

Nearly 10.75 lakh sleek Electronic Voting Machines will be used in coming Lok Sabha elections throughout the country for the first time.

Nearly 10.75 lakh sleek Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used in the coming Lok Sabha elections throughout the country for the first time, creating a history by making ballot boxes a thing of the past.

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"The adaptability of the machines has been proved in different extreme weather conditions in the last few years," Deputy Election Commissioner A N Jha said giving a special demonstration to press persons on the working the EVMs, dispelling doubts about the functioning of the machines in the General Elections.

Produced by public sector Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and Bharat Eletronics Limited (BEL), the easy-to-operate machines had been used in successive elections throughout the country and with overwhelming response from the electorate, he said.

Jha said that in States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Sikkim which are going to simultaneous assembly polls along with the Lok Sabha, every polling booth would have two EVMs.

Observing that the counting process would be made easier and the past experience showed in four to five hours the process could be over, he said "we expect that by late afternoon of May 13, when the counting of votes will be taken up, the overall clear picture will emerge".