Bhandara-Gondiya repoll: Estimated 45 pc voting across 49 booths

An estimated 45 per cent voters cast their vote in the repolling held at 49 booths in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra by 5 pm today, an election official said.

As the polling continued till 6 pm, final figures of voting were yet to arrive, the official said.

The Election Commission ordered repolling in these 49 booths following complaints of malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

"No reports of EVM glitches were received as of 5 pm today", the election official said here.

The counting of votes will start at 8 tomorrow morning, along with the counting in Palghar constituency.

During the by-election held on May 28, 53.15 per cent of the electorate had cast their vote in Bhandara-Gondiya, where Hemant Patle (BJP) and Madhukar Kukde (NCP) are the main candidates along with sixteen others.

The by-election was necessitated by resignation of BJP MP Nana Patole, who later also quit the party.

The EC yesterday ordered re-polling at 49 booths in five of the six assembly segments in Bhandara-Gondiya.

Polling for both, the Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seats, in Maharashtra on May 28 were marred by reports of malfunctioning of EVMs and voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs). However, no re-polling was ordered in the Palghar Lok Sabha constituency.