<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/live-lok-sabha-polls-2019-phase-7-voting-begins-in-chandigarh-and-7-states-219713">Live Lok Sabha polls 2019 phase 7: Voting underway in final round; UP CM Yogi, Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi among early voters</a>

EVM malfunction reported at booth no.6 in Pant Nagar of Patna Sahib, Bihar

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/polls-shouldnt-be-held-over-such-a-long-duration-says-nitish-kumar-219735">Polls shouldn't be held over such a long duration, says Nitish Kumar</a>

The seven-phase long Lok Sabha elections, one of the most bitterly fought in recent memory, will come to an end today.&nbsp;

As the one and a half month-long dance of democracy ends today, former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that there was a long gap between each phase of voting.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-prime-minister-may-to-make-mps-a-final-bold-offer-on-brexit-deal-219727">British Prime Minister May to make MPs a final 'bold offer' on Brexit deal</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday she was preparing to make a "bold offer" to MPs in one final attempt to get them to back her Brexit deal.

May said that when she brings the Withdrawal Agreement Bill before parliament early next month, it will come with a new package of measures attached that she hopes can command majority support.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/merkel-calls-for-europe-to-stand-up-against-far-right-parties-219720">Merkel calls for Europe to stand up against far-right parties</a>

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Saturday for Europe to push back against far-right parties, saying populist movements wanted to destroy core European values such as fighting corruption and protecting minorities.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-crush-watford-6-0-in-fa-cup-final-219717">Manchester City crush Watford 6-0 in FA Cup final</a>

Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday to become the first team to win the English treble of league championship and both domestic cups in spectacular style.

Live Lok Sabha polls 2019 phase 7: Voting underway in final round; UP CM Yogi, Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi among early voters EVM malfunction reported at booth no.

Live Lok Sabha polls 2019 phase 7: Voting underway in final round; UP CM Yogi, Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi among early voters EVM malfunction reported at booth no.6 in Pant Nagar of Patna Sahib, Bihar Polls shouldn't be held over such a long duration, says Nitish Kumar The seven-phase long Lok Sabha elections, one of the most bitterly fought in recent memory, will come to an end today. As the one and a half month-long dance of democracy ends today, former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that there was a long gap between each phase of voting. British Prime Minister May to make MPs a final 'bold offer' on Brexit deal British Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday she was preparing to make a "bold offer" to MPs in one final attempt to get them to back her Brexit deal. May said that when she brings the Withdrawal Agreement Bill before parliament early next month, it will come with a new package of measures attached that she hopes can command majority support. Merkel calls for Europe to stand up against far-right parties German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Saturday for Europe to push back against far-right parties, saying populist movements wanted to destroy core European values such as fighting corruption and protecting minorities. Manchester City crush Watford 6-0 in FA Cup final Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday to become the first team to win the English treble of league championship and both domestic cups in spectacular style.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Nearly 20 days after elections were held in Tamil Nadu (polling day was April 18), the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo announced on Wednesday that re-polling would be held in 13 booths that are spread across districts.&nbsp;

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, the officer explained the reasons behind the Election Commission's decision of conducting re-polls in the state.

He said that it was recommended to the ECI on April 20 that re-polling be conducted in ten booths spread across Dharmapuri, Cuddalore and Tiruvallur owing to data clearing errors in the EVMs, VVPAT machines and dysfunctional EVMs.&nbsp;

Besides the initially recommended 10 booths, re-polling has also been announced for two booths falling under Theni and one seat under Erode constituency.

Subsequently, information regarding errors in 46 booths was also sent across to the ECI, outlining the specific issues faced in each booth. The Officer said that of the 65,000 booths in the state there were errors in around 46 booths, as this time there was additional equipment in the form of the VVPAT machine.

Elaborating on the nature of the errors, the CEO said that while conducting mock polling in the booths, between 6 and 7 am, about 50 votes were cast, but the booth officers had committed errors in clearing the data in either the EVM or the VVPAT or in certain cases both machines. In some cases, the VVPAT slips were not cleared after the mock poll was conducted.

Regarding the arrangements being made for conducting re-polling in the 13 booths, he said, the respective District Election Officers would ensure that adequate awareness is created and measures are undertaken to arrange the EVMs and VVPATs. Awareness campaigns would include the beating of drums and making announcements, in addition to press releases.

Allaying fears of EVMs being moved from Erode, he said that the EVMs and VVPATs cannot be moved without the permission and knowledge of ECI and that the district officers would inform the parties before doing so.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Regarding when parliamentary elections would be held in Vellore, where it was earlier rescinded because of malpractices and huge cash seizures, he said that currently there is no information on the same.

In addition to by-polls to four vacant state assembly constituencies, Tamil Nadu will also have re-polling in 13 booths on May 19. While booths in Cuddalore and Erode would have re-polling for the parliamentary elections, booths in Theni, Dharmapuri and Tiruvallur would have re-polling for both assembly by-elections and parliamentary elections.

Nearly 20 days after elections were held in Tamil Nadu (polling day was April 18), the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo announced on Wednesday that re-polling would be held in 13 booths that are spread across districts.

Nearly 20 days after elections were held in Tamil Nadu (polling day was April 18), the Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo announced on Wednesday that re-polling would be held in 13 booths that are spread across districts. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, the officer explained the reasons behind the Election Commission's decision of conducting re-polls in the state. He said that it was recommended to the ECI on April 20 that re-polling be conducted in ten booths spread across Dharmapuri, Cuddalore and Tiruvallur owing to data clearing errors in the EVMs, VVPAT machines and dysfunctional EVMs. Besides the initially recommended 10 booths, re-polling has also been announced for two booths falling under Theni and one seat under Erode constituency. Subsequently, information regarding errors in 46 booths was also sent across to the ECI, outlining the specific issues faced in each booth. The Officer said that of the 65,000 booths in the state there were errors in around 46 booths, as this time there was additional equipment in the form of the VVPAT machine. Elaborating on the nature of the errors, the CEO said that while conducting mock polling in the booths, between 6 and 7 am, about 50 votes were cast, but the booth officers had committed errors in clearing the data in either the EVM or the VVPAT or in certain cases both machines. In some cases, the VVPAT slips were not cleared after the mock poll was conducted. Regarding the arrangements being made for conducting re-polling in the 13 booths, he said, the respective District Election Officers would ensure that adequate awareness is created and measures are undertaken to arrange the EVMs and VVPATs. Awareness campaigns would include the beating of drums and making announcements, in addition to press releases. Allaying fears of EVMs being moved from Erode, he said that the EVMs and VVPATs cannot be moved without the permission and knowledge of ECI and that the district officers would inform the parties before doing so. Regarding when parliamentary elections would be held in Vellore, where it was earlier rescinded because of malpractices and huge cash seizures, he said that currently there is no information on the same. In addition to by-polls to four vacant state assembly constituencies, Tamil Nadu will also have re-polling in 13 booths on May 19. While booths in Cuddalore and Erode would have re-polling for the parliamentary elections, booths in Theni, Dharmapuri and Tiruvallur would have re-polling for both assembly by-elections and parliamentary elections.

Tamil Nadu CEO clarifies on reasons behind re-polling in 13 booths 

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Election Commission of India (ECI) and Centre (Union of India) in connection with a plea seeking to decriminalise complaint on malfunctioning of VVPAT/EVM.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Deepak Gupta sought a response from the Centre and the poll body over a petition filed by Mumbai based advocate Sunil Ahya.

Ahya through his plea sought direction to the Centre to set aside Rule 49MA of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 except for the procedure prescribed for purpose of creating a statistical record of the complaints.

According to the present situation, jail term and fine is guaranteed if the complaint is found false.

Ahya, in his petition, stated that at present, if an elector complains / reports about any discrepancy between EVM and VVPAT, he may face the consequence of a jail term up to six months if it turns to be false, so it should be decriminalised.

Section 49 MA of Code Of Election Rules, states, if a person files a complaint regarding the discrepancy (voted for a particular party but it went to some other party) regarding the EVM, and, if after investigation this is found to be false or incorrect, then the complainant can be prosecuted under section 177 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for "furnishing false information. This section invites six months in jail or Rs&nbsp;1,000 fine or both".

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Election Commission of India (ECI) and Centre (Union of India) in connection with a plea seeking to decriminalise complaint on malfunctioning of VVPAT/EVM.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Election Commission of India (ECI) and Centre (Union of India) in connection with a plea seeking to decriminalise complaint on malfunctioning of VVPAT/EVM. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Deepak Gupta sought a response from the Centre and the poll body over a petition filed by Mumbai based advocate Sunil Ahya. Ahya through his plea sought direction to the Centre to set aside Rule 49MA of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 except for the procedure prescribed for purpose of creating a statistical record of the complaints. According to the present situation, jail term and fine is guaranteed if the complaint is found false. Ahya, in his petition, stated that at present, if an elector complains / reports about any discrepancy between EVM and VVPAT, he may face the consequence of a jail term up to six months if it turns to be false, so it should be decriminalised. Section 49 MA of Code Of Election Rules, states, if a person files a complaint regarding the discrepancy (voted for a particular party but it went to some other party) regarding the EVM, and, if after investigation this is found to be false or incorrect, then the complainant can be prosecuted under section 177 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for "furnishing false information. This section invites six months in jail or Rs 1,000 fine or both".

SC seeks ECI, Centre's response over plea seeking decriminalisation of complaints regarding EVM malfunction

Targetting the Election Commission on Sunday, leaders of 21 opposition political parties held a meeting in Delhi to discuss the issue of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/just-a-couple-of-days-after-polls-chandrababu-naidu-raises-questions-over-evms-asks-election-commission-to-revert-to-ballot-system-210068"> EVM malfunctioning</a>.

The parties said they would approach&nbsp;the Supreme Court&nbsp;over the "malfunctioning and tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)" and would demand&nbsp;at least 50 per cent of paper trails be verified with EVMs.

Addressing the media in the national capital, leaders from the political parties accused the Election Commission of not taking the issues seriously and said that the EC "failed" the country and its people.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who Saturday met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora to raise the issue of EVM malfunctioning, said 21 political parties have demanded verification of VVPAT paper trails of 50 per cent of the EVMs.

"EC is acting under BJP, they are not correct, they have to act impartially which they are not doing. Also, we doubt even EVMs are under manipulation and that's why we are demanding 50% counting of VVPATs. They are not agreeing", Naidu said.

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said opposition parties will approach the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the EC for counting of at least 50 per cent of the VVPAT slips with the EVMs in every assembly segment.

He said the opposition parties will carry out a nationwide campaign on the issue of discrepancies in EVMs.

"We do not think the EC is doing enough to address the issue of EVM malfunctioning," Singhvi alleged.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court Monday directed the EC to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per assembly segment, from one at present, in the Lok Sabha polls, saying it will provide greater satisfaction not just to political parties but the entire electorate.&nbsp;

Meanwhile taking a dig at the Centre, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, &nbsp;there's no in-built fault in EVMs, BJP tampering with them: Arvind Kejriwal.

(With inputs from agencies)

Targetting the Election Commission on Sunday, leaders of 21 opposition political parties held a meeting in Delhi to discuss the issue of EVM malfunctioning. The parties said they would approach the Supreme Court over the "malfunctioning and tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)" and would demand at least 50 per cent of paper trails be verified with EVMs.

Targetting the Election Commission on Sunday, leaders of 21 opposition political parties held a meeting in Delhi to discuss the issue of EVM malfunctioning. The parties said they would approach the Supreme Court over the "malfunctioning and tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)" and would demand at least 50 per cent of paper trails be verified with EVMs. Addressing the media in the national capital, leaders from the political parties accused the Election Commission of not taking the issues seriously and said that the EC "failed" the country and its people. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who Saturday met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora to raise the issue of EVM malfunctioning, said 21 political parties have demanded verification of VVPAT paper trails of 50 per cent of the EVMs. "EC is acting under BJP, they are not correct, they have to act impartially which they are not doing. Also, we doubt even EVMs are under manipulation and that's why we are demanding 50% counting of VVPATs. They are not agreeing", Naidu said. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said opposition parties will approach the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the EC for counting of at least 50 per cent of the VVPAT slips with the EVMs in every assembly segment. He said the opposition parties will carry out a nationwide campaign on the issue of discrepancies in EVMs. "We do not think the EC is doing enough to address the issue of EVM malfunctioning," Singhvi alleged. The Supreme Court Monday directed the EC to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs to five polling booths per assembly segment, from one at present, in the Lok Sabha polls, saying it will provide greater satisfaction not just to political parties but the entire electorate. Meanwhile taking a dig at the Centre, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, there's no in-built fault in EVMs, BJP tampering with them: Arvind Kejriwal. (With inputs from agencies)

Opposition parties to approach Supreme Court again to demand verification of 50% votes by paper trails

The general elections 2019 are in full swing. It is hardly surprising that the controversy over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) is also at its peak.&nbsp;

There is a well-documented history of EVM controversy. After all, every political party has raised doubts about the machines when in opposition. But when they come to power through the same machines, doubts are not put to rest. Only we have new accusers and the controversy continues.&nbsp; 
 
In 2011, the Election Commission (EC) got a rare opportunity to test the relative strength of EVMs and ballot papers. It was to conduct bypolls in 12 seats of Andhra Pradesh assembly. These seats had fallen vacant in the wake of mass resignations in the heat of the Telangana agitation.  Polls were conducted in half the constituencies using ballot papers because of a clever ploy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chandrababu Naidu ensured that the number of candidates in a number of constituencies was more than 64 – which is the maximum limit the EVMs could handle. And what was the conclusion? While the results from the machines came out in four hours, the paper ballots took over forty hours. Adding to that, in the seats where polls were conducted with ballot papers, thousands of invalid votes were found. The results from both the systems were exactly the same.&nbsp;

This debate should have ended way back in 2010 when the Commission called an all-party meeting to understand concerns of the political parties on the matter. It was unanimously recommended that VVPATs be adopted as the final remedy, and we promptly accepted it. The two factories which manufacture EVMs were asked to develop VVPATs. An independent committee of professors of five different IITs was requested to monitor every aspect of the process. &nbsp;

&nbsp;A series of trials were held, followed by two full-day election simulations in five cities with varying climatic conditions – namely Cherrapunji, Delhi, Jaisalmer, Leh, Thiruvananthapuram, in July 2011 and again in 2012 in the same month. Only after the VVPATs passed all the rigorous tests of technology and climatic endurance, were they deployed successfully in 20,000 polling booths. As manufacturing progressed, all constituencies were equipped with VVPATs.&nbsp;

In 2013, the Supreme Court lauded the Commission’s decision and directed the government to release adequate funds so that VVPATs can be procured for use in all the booths in the 2019 elections. As the machines kept coming in, these were randomly deployed. Since 2017, all assembly elections are held with EVMs which are attached with VVPATs. As per the present norms, slips generated by one VVPAT in each assembly constituency are counted. Of the 1,500 machines thus counted, not a single mismatch has been found. &nbsp;

The Opposition parties have demanded that half of the total slips should be cross-checked. As many as &nbsp;23 Opposition parties have also moved the Apex Court demanding the same. A group of 73 retired bureaucrats and diplomats have written to the EC on the matter, demanding an appropriate audit of votes cast in the 2019 election. To quote the central premise of the letter, “The real issue today is not about EVMs vs paper ballots, rather it is about EVMs with perfunctory VVPAT audits vs. EVMs with proper VVPAT audit.”&nbsp;

The letter highlighted the urgent need for a statistically sound sample size “With 99.9 per cent reliability, in a suitably defined population.” The &nbsp;EC sought the advice of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, on an appropriate sample size that would ensure 99.99 per cent public satisfaction. The much-awaited report has finally been submitted to the EC according to the latest reports and is being examined.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, when the case came up before SC, the Chief Justice asked the Election Commission why the sample size should not be increased. EC has apparently submitted that the experts of ISI have endorsed the current sample of one VVPAT per assembly constituency. On the other hand, the sample size proposed by the political parties would delay the results by six days. All eyes are now on the SC where the case would come up next week. &nbsp; 
 
I would also like to venture a more out of the box alternative. &nbsp;

Let the top two runners up in the constituency choose any two VVPAT machines that they would like to be counted as they have the highest stake in the results. An appropriate analogy is that of the game of cricket in which two referrals are allowed for each team. This is called the Decision Review System, and ever since its introduction, the violent disputes about the controversial decisions taken by the umpire have disappeared. This could serve to do away with a large random sample being demanded at present, as only four machines per assembly would have to be counted to ensure public faith in the system.&nbsp;

EVMs, equipped with VVPATs, are the most dependable arrangement. With only a few weeks to go for the counting, the Commission or the Supreme Court must clinch the debate without any further delay. &nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

The general elections 2019 are in full swing. It is hardly surprising that the controversy over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) is also at its peak.

The general elections 2019 are in full swing. It is hardly surprising that the controversy over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) is also at its peak. There is a well-documented history of EVM controversy. After all, every political party has raised doubts about the machines when in opposition. But when they come to power through the same machines, doubts are not put to rest. Only we have new accusers and the controversy continues. In 2011, the Election Commission (EC) got a rare opportunity to test the relative strength of EVMs and ballot papers. It was to conduct bypolls in 12 seats of Andhra Pradesh assembly. These seats had fallen vacant in the wake of mass resignations in the heat of the Telangana agitation.  Polls were conducted in half the constituencies using ballot papers because of a clever ploy. Chandrababu Naidu ensured that the number of candidates in a number of constituencies was more than 64 – which is the maximum limit the EVMs could handle. And what was the conclusion? While the results from the machines came out in four hours, the paper ballots took over forty hours. Adding to that, in the seats where polls were conducted with ballot papers, thousands of invalid votes were found. The results from both the systems were exactly the same. This debate should have ended way back in 2010 when the Commission called an all-party meeting to understand concerns of the political parties on the matter. It was unanimously recommended that VVPATs be adopted as the final remedy, and we promptly accepted it. The two factories which manufacture EVMs were asked to develop VVPATs. An independent committee of professors of five different IITs was requested to monitor every aspect of the process. A series of trials were held, followed by two full-day election simulations in five cities with varying climatic conditions – namely Cherrapunji, Delhi, Jaisalmer, Leh, Thiruvananthapuram, in July 2011 and again in 2012 in the same month. Only after the VVPATs passed all the rigorous tests of technology and climatic endurance, were they deployed successfully in 20,000 polling booths. As manufacturing progressed, all constituencies were equipped with VVPATs. In 2013, the Supreme Court lauded the Commission’s decision and directed the government to release adequate funds so that VVPATs can be procured for use in all the booths in the 2019 elections. As the machines kept coming in, these were randomly deployed. Since 2017, all assembly elections are held with EVMs which are attached with VVPATs. As per the present norms, slips generated by one VVPAT in each assembly constituency are counted. Of the 1,500 machines thus counted, not a single mismatch has been found. The Opposition parties have demanded that half of the total slips should be cross-checked. As many as 23 Opposition parties have also moved the Apex Court demanding the same. A group of 73 retired bureaucrats and diplomats have written to the EC on the matter, demanding an appropriate audit of votes cast in the 2019 election. To quote the central premise of the letter, “The real issue today is not about EVMs vs paper ballots, rather it is about EVMs with perfunctory VVPAT audits vs. EVMs with proper VVPAT audit.” The letter highlighted the urgent need for a statistically sound sample size “With 99.9 per cent reliability, in a suitably defined population.” The EC sought the advice of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, on an appropriate sample size that would ensure 99.99 per cent public satisfaction. The much-awaited report has finally been submitted to the EC according to the latest reports and is being examined. Meanwhile, when the case came up before SC, the Chief Justice asked the Election Commission why the sample size should not be increased. EC has apparently submitted that the experts of ISI have endorsed the current sample of one VVPAT per assembly constituency. On the other hand, the sample size proposed by the political parties would delay the results by six days. All eyes are now on the SC where the case would come up next week. I would also like to venture a more out of the box alternative. Let the top two runners up in the constituency choose any two VVPAT machines that they would like to be counted as they have the highest stake in the results. An appropriate analogy is that of the game of cricket in which two referrals are allowed for each team. This is called the Decision Review System, and ever since its introduction, the violent disputes about the controversial decisions taken by the umpire have disappeared. This could serve to do away with a large random sample being demanded at present, as only four machines per assembly would have to be counted to ensure public faith in the system. EVMs, equipped with VVPATs, are the most dependable arrangement. With only a few weeks to go for the counting, the Commission or the Supreme Court must clinch the debate without any further delay. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

VVPAT-equipped EVMs are most dependable arrangement

Several cases of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioning reported in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election which began today morning.&nbsp;

An EVM machine in Surat&#39;s Varaccha was replaced earlier today.&nbsp;

Master trainee of the election commission in Surat&#39;s Varaccha said that all the faulty machines have been replaced.&nbsp; &quot;These were electronic items, it could have had issues,&nbsp;&quot; he said.

&quot;&#39;We have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic&nbsp;items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay and voting is started,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Faulty EVM in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya booth in Surat&#39;s Varaccha has been replaced <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/X6Tzu7aNCs">pic.twitter.com/X6Tzu7aNCs</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939356762192277504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay &amp; voting has started: Vipul Goti, Master Trainer, Election Commission in Surat&#39;s Varaccha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/RVF86aW4Wh">pic.twitter.com/RVF86aW4Wh</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939364978573709312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Congress leader Ahmed Patel urged the election officials to deal with&nbsp;EVM malfunctioning immediately.

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Wherever there are complaints of EVM malfunctioning, it should be dealt with immediately: Ahmed Patel, Congress <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/CPkE8hM6cq">pic.twitter.com/CPkE8hM6cq</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939367044058722304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The first phase of Gujarat election is underway. &nbsp;

The voting is being held in 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with a total of 977 candidates in the fray.

The second phase of election will be held in 93 seats in North and Central Gujarat and is scheduled for December 14.

Counting of votes will begin on December 18.

Amidst the ongoing first phase assembly elections in Gujarat, reports of several faulty Electronic Voting Machines have surfaced

Several cases of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioning reported in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election which began today morning. An EVM machine in Surat's Varaccha was replaced earlier today. Master trainee of the election commission in Surat's Varaccha said that all the faulty machines have been replaced. "These were electronic items, it could have had issues, " he said. "'We have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay and voting is started," he added. Faulty EVM in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya booth in Surat's Varaccha has been replaced #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/X6Tzu7aNCs — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × Have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay & voting has started: Vipul Goti, Master Trainer, Election Commission in Surat's Varaccha #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/RVF86aW4Wh — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × Meanwhile, Congress leader Ahmed Patel urged the election officials to deal with EVM malfunctioning immediately. Wherever there are complaints of EVM malfunctioning, it should be dealt with immediately: Ahmed Patel, Congress #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/CPkE8hM6cq — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × The first phase of Gujarat election is underway. The voting is being held in 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with a total of 977 candidates in the fray. The second phase of election will be held in 93 seats in North and Central Gujarat and is scheduled for December 14. Counting of votes will begin on December 18.

Gujarat elections: Faulty EVMs hinder smooth polling