Officials in Madhya Pradesh had to replace several faulty EVMs and VVPAT machines on Wednesday as the state votes for the 230-member Assembly.
Around 70 EVMs were replaced at various polling booths across the central state following complaints of technical snags, MP’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V L Kantha Rao told reporters.
In Ujjain, two faulty electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 11 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were replaced by the Election Commission officials.
In Bhuranpur constituency, five VVPATs and two faulty EVMs were replaced by 9 am.
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia has asked the EC officials to extend the voting time where EVMs and VVPAT machines developed technical glitches and they were being replaced.
Read | MP polls : 2,907 candidates in fray for 230 seats; BJP eyes 4th term, Cong seeks to break 15-yr jinx
“Extend polling time in stations where EVMs malfunctioned, replacements must be done ASAP. I’m in touch with ECI on this issue,” Scindia said after casting his vote.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan voted with his family at Jait village under Bhudni constituency. He is contesting against Congress’ Arun Yadav.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath also cast his vote, after a temple visit along with his family, at a polling booth in Chhindwara.
Around 6.32 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 9 am.
Polling began at 7 a.m. for three Maoist-affected constituencies in Balaghat district, while votes were cast in the remaining 227 assembly seats starting 8 a.m.
Polling would end in the three constituencies — Baihar, Lanji and Paraswada — at 3 p.m, while it would continue till 5 p.m. in all the other constituencies.
The contest is mainly between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, though the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) are also in the fray.
Among the 2,907 candidates in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has fielded candidates in all seats, while the Congress is contesting in 229 seats leaving one seat, Jatara in Tikamgarh district, for Sharad Yadav-led Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD).
(With agency inputs)