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Repolling has been ordered in four booths in Thrissur and a decision is pending for some in Malappuram, where voting machines ‘failed’ in the second round of local body elections in Kerala. The machines were found tampered with in some cases in Malappuram, where more than 200 were reported out of order on Thursday morning.
According to sources, faults were detected in 273 machines in three municipalities and 42 gram panchayats in Malappuram.
Technicians from the State Election Commission set right 227 of these machines by 12 noon. Voting hours were extended in these cases until 7 pm.
No voting could take place in these booths for two hours at a stretch in the morning. The decision to grant extended time was taken after confabulations with various political parties.
All-party meet An all-party meeting demanded that repoll be ordered in 16 booths in the district where not a single vote could be polled. A decision of the State Election Commission was awaited at the time of going to press.
A decision on repoll is pending in the case of those cases where machines were found tampered with, after cellophane tapes and paper rolls were stuck in, or were washed in liquid glue. The Commission too expressed apprehension that these machines may have been tampered with. It suspected the ‘handiwork’ of interested players from ‘outside.’
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