EVMs damaged in fire: ECI orders repolling in MP's Betul
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a repolling at four booths in Betul, Madhya Pradesh due to damage to electronic voting machines (EVMs). The damage occurred when a bus transporting polling staff and EVMs caught fire on Tuesday night. Fortunately, all 36 individuals onboard were able to evacuate safely without any injuries, as confirmed by local police.
Repolling locations and preparations underway
The repolling has been ordered at four booths located in Chikhlimal, Dudar Raiyat, Kunda Raiyat, and Rajapur within the Multai assembly segment of the parliamentary constituency. The decision came after the district administration presented a report on the fire incident to the ECI. Betul's Collector, Narendra Suryavanshi, confirmed that preparations for repolling are in full swing and liquor shops within a 3km radius of these polling stations will be closed.
Fire details and election overview
The fire occurred in Goula village while the bus was returning from election duty. According to Superintendent of Police, Jharia, a mechanical fault was responsible for the blaze. Four EVMs sustained minor damage while two others remained intact. The staff managed to escape by breaking the glass windows as the doors had jammed. Madhya Pradesh has 29 Lok Sabha seats in total, with eight including Betul being contested in the third phase of elections.
Rescheduled polling and voter turnout details
The rescheduled polling is set to take place from 7:00am to 6:00pm on May 10 at these booths under the Multai assembly segment of the parliamentary seat. The booths are located at Government Integrated High School, Rajapur, Government Integrated High School, Raiyat, Government Primary School Kunda, Raiyat and Government Integrated High School, Chikhlimal. The voter turnout for this phase was approximately 66.05%, as per national poll panel's data. The Betul Lok Sabha seat recorded 72.65% polling on Tuesday.
