Lok Sabha elections 2019: Poll officer requests re-poll at 2 Chandni Chowk polling stations

Elections to the seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi were held on May 12. Officials refused to identify the stations.

The Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO) has requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold re-polls in at least two polling stations in the Chandni Chowk parliamentary constituency after it was found that the results of a mock poll held earlier were not deleted, said senior state election commission officials.

This exercise is conducted to show that the EVMs were functioning properly.(HT Photo)

Elections to the seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi were held on May 12. Officials refused to identify the stations.

“A proposal has been sent to the ECI to hold repolls in two polling stations in Chandni Chowk. We are yet to receive any communication from the ECI, which is the ultimate decision-making body,” said a senior poll official requesting anonymity.

He said that the presiding officers of the two polling booths started the actual polling process without deleting the results of the mock polls from the ballot units.

“The electronic voting machines (EVMs) have to have zero votes before the actual voting process starts. The presiding officers of these two polling stations however forgot to delete the results of the mock polls. This could lead to erroneous results and lead to confusion. Hence the proposal for a re-poll has been submitted,” the official said. Mock polls are held in the presence of agents of political parties before the actual polls for the satisfaction of the candidates and political parties. This exercise is conducted to show that the EVMs were functioning properly.