Phase Two ‘peaceful’,63% cast vote

State Election Commissioner S K Agarwal said that around 58 per cent polling was recorded at 5 pm and it went up to 63 per cent at the end of poll. The turnout in these districts was 60 per cent in the 2006 local body elections. “The election was in November. In current hot weather conditions,63 per cent polling can be called good,” he said.

Agarwal said that re-poll was ordered at booth No. 115 of Primary School Polling Centre in ward No. 18 in Sati locality in Etawah district. The district administration suspended polling there after some people mutilated ballot papers and threw water in ballot boxes. Re-poll has been scheduled here on June 26.

Re-poll was also ordered at polling booths No. 52,52A,53 and 54 at Dayawati Public School in Meerut after reports of bogus voting. Re-polling will be held on June 26.

Agarwal said that polling was peaceful and incident-free in all 17 districts.

EVMs had been changed at some polling booth in Meerut only,Agarwal added. The replaced EVMs did not have any technical malfunction,but handling of the machines was faulty. “These EVMs had been used in the recent Assembly elections and Election Commission of India had provided them,” Agarwal said.

EVMs had not been handled properly due to improper training of poll staff at some places including Lucknow district where polling held on Saturday. Around 12 per cent EVMs had been replaced during poll in Lucknow,he said.