Congress, SP, RLD demand repoll in booths where EVMs malfunctioned

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Amid complaints of dysfunctional EVMs during bypolls in Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, a multi-party delegation led by the Congress approached the EC on Monday to demand a repoll in the affected booths.

The delegation comprised Congress leader R.P.N. Singh, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal's Chaudhury Ajit Singh.

"There were reports from Kairana and Noorpur constituencies and elsewhere where bypolls were held that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) malfunctioned in hundreds. In Kairana, we have reports of hundreds of machines that malfunctioned," the Congress leader told reporters.

"We have demanded that wherever it took more than one-and-a-half hours for the EVMs to be changed, a repoll should be held in those booths tomorrow (Tuesday) or day after (Wednesday)," he added.

R.P.N. Singh added: "We have also demanded that wherever the malfunctioning machines were changed in less than one-and-a-half hours, extra time after 6 p.m. should be given for those still to vote to exercise their franchise."