MP Assembly Elections 2018: EVM malfunction reported from several polling booths

BHOPAL: As polling commenced in 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday morning, reports of malfunctions in Electronic Voting Machines emerged from several places. 

Faulty machines or EVM malfunction has been reported from at least 20 polling booths across the state, reported Zee MP-Chhattisgarh.

 EVM malfunctions being reported at:

1. Tikuria Tola Government Intermediate Shala polling booth number 181
2. Little Angels School in Bhopal's Kohefiza
3. Islam Nagar
4. Shajapur Lalpura polling booth number 179
5. Ater Vidhan Sabha Polling booth numbers 186, 187, 59
6. Polling booth number 224 in Itarsi
7. Polling booth number 142 
8. Polling booth numbers 32, 33, 38, 47, 49, 93
9. Dakshin Paschim Polling booth number 152
10. Mehgaon polling centre nuber 160
11. Govindpure polling booth number 135
12. Vidhansabha area 131 booth number 74 
13. Polling booth number 93 and 81 (Saint Joseph) in Kachhpura 
14. Bhind Vidhan Sabha polling booth numbers 72 and 132
15. Gohad Vidhan Sabha booth number 114
16. Village Kakradra Kurd Pooling booth 209

The polling process continued peacefully in other parts of the state.

A total of 65,000 polling booths have been set up for the Assembly elections, including 2000 women-operated 'pink' booth.  "3 Lakh government employees including 45,000 women have been deployed on polling duty. 65,000 polling booths are being made in the state. Around 2,000 entirely women-only polling booths would be functional. 160 polling booths will be fully operated by differently-abled personnel," said Chief Electoral Officer, Madhya Pradesh, VL Kantha Rao earlier.

The poll results will be declared on December 11.

As many as 2,899 candidates, including 1,094 independents, are in the fray for the 230 seats, but the main contest is between the Congress and BJP. The state has nearly 5.04 crore eligible voters.

This high-stakes electoral battle will witness the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) eyeing a fourth straight term and Opposition Congress fighting for a comeback. The outcome of this Assembly elections could prove as a precursor to the Lok Sabha 2019 elections.