Lok Sabha elections 2019: EVM snag hits polling in Bengal, UP, Rajasthan in fifth phase

In West Bengal, voting was yet to begin in booth numbers 289, 291 and 292 in Howrah reportedly after glitches in EVMs and VVPATs.

Polling was delayed in several booths in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Monday after electronic voting machines (EVMs) developed technical glitch in several parliamentary constituencies during the fifth phase of polling in the Lok Sabha election.

Polling in two of the four polling booths in Sarsawan under Mohanlalganj constituency of Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow was also delayed because of a technical glitch in EVM. (PTI/ Representative Image)

In West Bengal, voting was yet to begin in booth numbers 289, 291 and 292 in Howrah reportedly after glitches in EVMs and VVPATs. In Shyampur under Uluberia constituency, polling could not start in booth number 179 till 7:30 am due to EVM glitch.

Polling could not take place for about 50 minutes at booth number 256 in Tarakeswar under Arambagh constituency due to an alleged EVM and VVPAT glitch.

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“I am getting complaints of EVM glitches in different areas such as Chanditala, Sreerampore and Jangipara,” alleged Trinamool Congress candidate of Sreerampore constituency Kalyan Bandyopadhyay.

Polling in two of the four polling booths in Sarsawan under Mohanlalganj constituency of Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow was also delayed because of a technical glitch in EVM. Two EVMs also reported to have developed a snag at Mehmoodpur polling station of Kaushambi.

In Rajasthan’s Dausa, polling started a few minutes late after three EVMs malfunctioned and were changed later.

The Congress and the BJP complained of EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) not working in many areas in Rajasthan, including Jaipur.

In the fifth phase, which is the smallest, 51 parliamentary constituencies across seven states will vote on Monday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners had the highest seat share in the Lok Sabha seats which are going to polls. The NDA won 41 out of the 51 seats in 2014, 27 more than its 2009 tally.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union home minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh are among the political bigwigs in the fray in the fifth phase.

The votes will be counted on May 23.