BJP nominee seeks extension of polling time over faulty EVMs

The BJP candidate for the Palghar Lok Sabha seat bypoll today demanded that the polling time be extended in view of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioning in some booths.

The poll representative of BJP's nominee Rajendra Gavit submitted a memorandum to election officials in the district, seeking extension of the polling time due to malfunctioning of EVMs and the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines in some booths.

Voting began for the by-election at 7 am today and will conclude at 4 pm.

The counting of votes will take place on May 31.

Voting in both the Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypolls in Maharashtra was today marred by reported malfunctioning of EVMs in some booths.

Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader and former MP Prakash Ambedkar said around 450 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioned.

"There have been certain cases of failure due to technical problem of EVMs and VVPAT machines during polling in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituencies which have been replaced," an election official earlier said.

In Palghar, the bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga. The BJP's bickering ally Shiv Sena has fielded the late MP's son, Srinivas Wanaga, in a bid to garner the sympathy vote.

The BJP has put up former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit and the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi is also in the fray with the nomination of its ex-MP Baliram Jadhav.

Kiran Raja Gahla of the CPI-M, which has a base in Talasari and Dahanu areas, and former MP Damu Shingada (Congress) are also contesting in a multi-cornered fight from the Palghar seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).