Jamshedpur, Feb. 1: It?s a problem of plenty in some of the Assembly constituencies that has apparently put the state election commission in a tight spot.

It is facing a shortage of electronic voting machines (EVMs) ? the gadget needed for voters to exercise their franchise.

An EVM comprises a ballot and a control unit. One ballot unit can have names of 16 candidates with their symbols. If the number of candidates exceeds 16, a second ballot unit has to be used.

According to poll panel sources, 18 constituencies are slated to go to the poll in the first and second phase, which require more than one ballot unit as there are over 16 contestants in the fray. A ballot unit can accommodate only 16 candidates. ?Since we will require more than one ballot unit in the 18 constituencies, our extra stock of 6,500 EVMs are going to be exhausted after the second phase of election. Unless we get additional EVMs, it will be difficult for us to conduct the third phase of polling,? said a senior functionary of the election commission.

In the first phase of election on February 3, there are nine constituencies, where two ballot units will be required.

In Hazaribagh Assembly seat, which go to the poll in the same phase, three ballot units have to be placed in each booth since the number of candidates is 35.

Similarly, in the second phase, Hatia will require three ballot units as the number of candidates exceeds 32 and seven other constituencies in the same election phase will need two ballot units.

State special chief electoral officer, Sudhir Tripathy, said the Election Commission has been requested to rush additional EVMs to the state for the third phase of election scheduled on February 23.

?We will need about 2,000 more EVMs for the third phase of election scheduled on February 23,? said Tripathy. The Jamshedpur East Assembly segment has 17 candidates in the fray.