Odisha CEO recommends re-polling at six booths due to EVM glitches, poll party faults

Surjit kumar Dhal, Bhubaneswar, April 18: The Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Thursday recommended re-polling at six booths in Sundergarh and Nayagarh and Bargarh districts following glitches were reported during voting in second phase of elections in Odisha.

“Two polling booths in Sundergarh and another 2 polling stations in Daspalla constituencies will be re-polled,” said CEO Surendra Kumar.

The glitches were reported at two booths in Sundergarh district — booth number 129 in Bonai and 213 in Sundergarh while similar complaints were received from booth number 210 and 222 in Daspalla of Nayagarh district today.

The voters were disappointed and had to return without casting their votes after long hours of wait for polling to elect their representatives.

The CEO clarified that it was not technical glitches in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), rather a ‘human error’ in VVPATs for which the polling was suspended at these booths.

“The EVMs and VVPATs have been cross paired in these four polling stations. This is the human error as the dereliction of duties by the concerned polling officers for which actions are to be initiated against them,” Kumar told reporters.