Murshidabad, April 23 (IANS) Amid the first phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal on Thursday, Congress candidate from the Berhampore constituency Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stated that the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in one of the booths of the district has been repeatedly malfunctioning, because of which, he said voters have to wait for hours in the scorching heat to cast their vote.

Speaking to reporters outside a polling station, he mentioned, “I have been receiving news since morning that the EVM in booth number 141 has been repeatedly malfunctioning. I had also registered a complaint regarding this and though the EVMs were replaced, the situation has not improved.”

According to Chowdhury, the Election Commission had assured that they will send technicians but nothing effective has been done so far. “As a result I have been compelled to come here,” he said.

“I have also sent a written complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer,” he added.

Further, the Congress candidate said that he has even approached the District Magistrate (DM) regarding the matter.

“He (DM) has assured that they are trying to fix the issue,” he said.

Chowdhury also flagged the problems being faced by voters due to malfunctioning of the EVM. “People are facing so much trouble in the scorching heat that they are heading back home. There is no shade, nothing, and voters are waiting for hours in such long queues,” he said.

He particularly emphasised about the troubles being faced by women voters.

“The women are standing in such heat and are still determined to cast their votes. It is because if they don’t vote this time, next time they will say that, since you didn’t vote, you will be deprived of the civil rights due to SIR. People are afraid due to this and so everyone wants to vote.”

A female voter who was waiting in a queue to cast her vote echoed Chowdhury’s concern.

“We have been waiting for two hours in this extreme heat. There is no system, nothing. We are being repeatedly told that the machine (EVM) has malfunctioned. This is so irritating,” she told IANS.

Further expressing her disappointment, she added, “We are facing so much problem here. This way we won’t be able to caste votes.”

–IANS

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