VIJAYAWADA: Defunct EVMs caused delay in commencement of polling at several places in Krishna, Srikakulam, Chittoor, parts of Prakasam, Kurnool, and East and West Godavari districts. Irritated voters entered into arguments with polling staff and police at a few places.
By 9 a.m., unconfirmed reports suggested that EVMs at various places across the State did not function due to technical glitches, delaying polling. At some places, voters, who were waiting for the polling to commence, returned home as EVMs were not working. Election Commission officials did not respond over the issue. Frustrated over the EVM glitches, Jana Sena candidate for Guntakal Assembly constituency K Madhusudan Gupta broke the machine by throwing it on the floor at Gooty Arts College polling booth in Anantapur district. Police arrested him. Such incidents of EVMs damage were reported at six locations in the State. Later, damaged EVMs were replaced and polling was held.
Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his dissatisfaction over the delay in polling due to EVM glitches and reiterated his objection to their use and suggested that they are replaced with ballot boxes in the future elections. “Even in developed countries, ballot boxes are used for transparency,” he observed.
Later, Naidu lodged a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi stating that 30 per cent of EVMs were not working, a claim denied by the CEO. The YSRC also lodged complaints with the CEO over non-functioning of EVMs. Responding to his party candidate Madhu Sudhan Gupta damaging an EVM, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan opined that EVM should not be damaged. He claimed that 10 per cent of EVMs did not function and asked the Election Commission to intervene and set right the situation.
