May 14, 2009

Poll panel to probe EVM malfunctioning in West Bengal

Kolkata, May 13: The Election Commission will probe into the malfunctioning of EVMs in 101 polling booths of a Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal Wednesday, prompting the poll in these booths to be deferred to Thursday.
“We’ll order an investigation into the matter and also seek a clarification from the district administration as to how the EVMs were damaged by rain and found faulty on the polling day,” West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Debashis Sen told reporters here. “The person who was in-charge of those EVMs should have been more careful while dealing with the matter,” he said.
Polling could not begin in 101 booths of the Mandirbazar assembly segment of Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency in South 24 Parganas district as the EVMs, which were wet after Tuesday’s rain, did not function.

Polling will be held in these booths Thursday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Sen said. “On the basis of the probe, the Election Commission will finally file a report on the issue,” he added.

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