Lucknow: Scores of voter-verified paper audit trail machines conked out at Monday's by-elections in Kairana and Noorpur, the Opposition alleging sabotage at booths where Muslim and Dalit voters are decisive while the polling authorities blamed the 45-degree temperatures.
State chief electoral officer M. Venkateshwar Lu confirmed that 15 per cent of the paper trail machines were snagged but denied that this happened only in booths with substantial Muslim and Dalit voters.
He blamed "excessive hot weather" and added that the manufacturer would be told to upgrade the devices before future polls.
Paper trail or VVPAT machines allow voters to check whether their vote went to the intended candidate and have become crucial following allegations of voting machine tampering in several recent elections. A new invention, they have so far not been used too widely.
Tabassum Hassan, Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate for the Kairana Lok Sabha seat, wrote to the Election Commission alleging voting machines and paper trail devices developed snags at more than 150 of the 941 booths just after polling started at 7am.
"It cannot be a coincidence that the machines are not working where there is a substantial turnout of Muslim and Dalit voters. I handed a written complaint to the poll panel but nothing has been done though several hours have passed," she told reporters.
Naeemul Hasan, Samajwadi Party candidate for the Noorpur Assembly seat, made a similar complaint, saying the paper trail machines were non-functional at 113 of the 351 booths.
Samajwadi state president Naresh Uttam appeared to accept the "excessive heat" explanation but said: "The Election Commission knew that their VVPATs wouldn't function in this weather and still used them (without upgrades). We believe the entire drama was meant to benefit the BJP."
Divisional commissioner Chandra Prakash Tripathi implied the authorities didn't know about the devices' vulnerability to heat. "Engineers (from the manufacturer) told me that some VVPATs stop working in summer. Thirty engineers of the company are looking into it."
Venkateshwar said: "We have kept spare VVPATs and are replacing the faulty machines. Those in the queue at 5pm will be allowed to vote even if it takes many hours."
State BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey said he had no problem if the entire polling was done afresh. "We met the electoral officer and requested him to ensure that all the voters cast their votes. If needed, fresh elections should be held," he said.
"Thousands of EVMs are not working. Thirsty and hungry farmers, labourers, women and youths are standing in queues in the scorching sun," Samajwadi national president Akhilesh Yadav tweeted during the polling.
