Agartala: The Election Commission (EC) has admitted to errors in the February 18 Tripura Assembly polls and said re-polling would be held in six booths on Saturday.

Chief electoral officer Sriram Taranikanti was informed about the commission's order on Friday in a notice issued by EC secretary Arvind Anand. Re-polling will be held in a booth each in Sonamura, Teliamura, Sabroom, Ampinagar, Kadamtala-Kurti and Dhanpur constituencies.

Errors were perceived in 17 booths in the state.

The paper slips from voter-verifiable paper audit trail devices (used for the first time along with electronic voting machines in Tripura this year), will also be counted again in seven booths, the notice said. The presiding officers inadvertently did not clear the votes cast during mock polling from the control unit of EVMs at these booths, the notice said.

Four polling booths at Kakraban-Shalgarah, Belonia, Shantirbazar and Jolaibari constituencies were found to have discrepancies in the total number of voters and the votes cast.

Votes recorded in the EVMs were found to be higher than the actual voters by a single vote. Returning officers have been instructed to withhold results in these seats if the winning margin is a single vote.

Taranikanti refused to give any reason for carrying out repolling and said, "The EC has taken an independent and fair decision. There are some procedural issues for which the decision was taken."

Asked about the delay in repolling, he said data was received and verified before the decision was taken.

CPM state secretary Bijan Dhar blamed the EC and the state electoral office for failing to conduct the election properly. He questioned if the poll personnel were properly trained. Referring to Taranikanti and other officials, Dhar said they showed "criminal negligence". "Nobody will be spared. Every official responsible for the failure in conducting a proper election will have to testify before the people," he added.

On the CPM's questioning the neutrality of the poll process, Taranikanti said his team was "totally independent and neutral".

BJP spokesperson Ashok Sinha welcomed the EC decision. "We were unhappy with EVM malfunctioning too. But the EC has taken a well-considered decision and we welcome it," he said.

He asked the CPM to "prove" its allegation of "criminal negligence" against the election authority.