The reports if malfunctioning of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) has agitated the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to move to the Supreme Court. On the first day of Lok Sabha Polls, the polling in several places Anantapur, Guntur, Kadapa, and Kurnool, polling did not commence till 9 am due to the disruption in the EVMs.
Gopala Krishna Dwivedi, the chief electoral officer was also unable to cast his vote at Christianpeta Municipal High School in Tadepalli town in Guntur district. He has cautioned the election officials for being irresponsible in conducting the polls.
Jana Sena chief complained about the EVMs faulty working claiming that around 200 EVMs were not working at the commencement of the polls.
The chief minister has sought to move to the Supreme Court to seek the direction of the Election Commission to tally slips from at least 25 percent VVPAT machines with a record of EVMs in each assembly constituency in the state. Chandrababu Naidu also wrote to the poll body advocating that 30 percent of the EVMs delayed the polling till 10 am.
The Chef Minister alleged that he has been advocating the Election commission to use ballot papers instead of the EVMs to ensure the technical smoothness in the polls. After the delay in the polls, Election Commission should now think over the installments of ballot papers for the polls.
Dwivedi has told the media that replacement of the faulty EVMs is under process. Time would be extended for the voters to cast their vote if necessary.
Andhra Pradesh is voting for its 175 assembly seats and 25 Lok Sabha seats simultaneously on Thursday, April 11, in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.