EC orders repolling in 48 polling stations in Punjab

The Election Commission on Tuesday ordered repolling in 48 polling stations in Punjab, after the first phase of polling which took place on February 4.

The repolling will be held on Thursday (Feb 9). According to V K Singh, Punjab chief electoral officer, malfunctioning of EVMs and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was the reason for repoll.

Hundreds of these machines malfunctioned on the day of polling which led to confusion and delay.

The VVPAT is a method of providing feedback to voters. It’s an independent verification system. The VVPAT is a printer-like machine attached to every EVM that allows voters to verify that their vote has been cast correctly.

There are 16 polling stations in Amritsar parliamentary constituency where repolling will be held.

Twelve polling stations in Majitha Assembly constituency, one in Moga and Sardulgarh, and nine polling booths in Muktsar and Sangrur will undergo repoll.

All the returning officers and observers concerned have been instructed to act accordingly, the Election Commission said.

On February 9, the polling hours will be from 8 am to 5 pm, Singh said.
Necessary arrangements have been made and election material, EVMs, security and poll staff in adequate numbers have been deputed for the task, he said.

The Election Commission has ordered paid leave wherever repoll is announced on February 9 to facilitate voters to exercise their franchise.