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EVM Glitches Reported In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu Demands Re-polling

CM Naidu said three hours of polling time had been wasted because of faulty EVMs.
Representative image.
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Representative image.

Electronic voting machine (EVM) glitches were reported in several places in Andhra Pradesh, prompting Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to demand repolling.

In a letter to the Election Commission, Naidu said that 30 percent of the EVMs were not functioning till 10 am, according to Hindustan Times.

The Chief Minister referred to technical glitches in EVMs and said he was demanding that ballot papers be re-introduced.

“No developed country is using EVMs as they are prone to manipulation. We have hence been demanding that we revert to the ballot paper system,” Naidu said.

He also demanded re-polling in some of the booths. Naidu said that three hours of polling time had been wasted by faulty EVMs and there were complaints that votes cast for TDP were going to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), reported The Hindu.

In his letter, Naidu said it is likely that people who went back (because of EVM glitch) may not return to vote when polling resumes. He, therefore, said that re-polling is needed in all polling stations where voting had not begun till 9.30 am.

State Chief Electoral Officer Gopala Krishna Dwivedi himself could not cast his vote at Christianpeta Municipal High School in Tadepalli town in Guntur district due to malfunctioning of EVM, the Hindustan Times report added. He pulled up election officials for not taking enough precautions.

Meanwhile, clashes broke out between workers of Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress at various places in Andhra Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)

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