Amritsar repoll peaceful - 55 per cent voting recorded; Results after completion of probe into EVM hacking
Saturday, 16/06/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120616/punjab.htm#1
Even as 55 per cent voting was recorded at two booths where re-polling was held today, the results were withheld owing to the current investigations going on in the alleged hacking of EVM machines at several booths in ward number 3.
Confirming this, Deputy Commissioner Rajat Agarwal said a three-member team of experts constituted by the State Election Commission today visited the city to probe the alleged hacking of electronic voting machines, as complained by the SAD candidate from the ward, Rajkumar Jolly.
The results would be declared only after the completion of the probe. The team, which has almost concluded its investigation, is likely to submit the report to the police by this evening or tomorrow morning, said the DC-cum-district election officer.
“The police will forward the report to state Election Commission, which would further pass the necessary instructions regarding the declaration of results,” said the commissioner. He expressed hope that the results would be declared within a couple of days.
Meanwhile, booth number 9 recorded 54.06 per cent voting while booth number 11 recorded 55.72 per cent polling. The poll process passed off peacefully. People started queueing up for voting, which started at 8 am and concluded at 4 pm.
Re-polling was ordered at the two booths by the state Election Commission following the complaints lodged by the presiding officers about booth capturing during the civic polls held on June 10. They had alleged that unscrupulous persons barged into the booth and misbehaved with the polling staff besides forcibly casting votes. Subsequently, separate cases were registered against unidentified persons and the report was submitted to Election Commission for further action.
As far as the poll scenario is concerned, the SAD is most likely to capture the seat in view of the fact that the Congress candidate and main contender from the ward, Surinder Chaudhry, switched loyalty to the ruling party a day after the civic polls. Later, an independent candidate and Congress rebel Dinesh Kumar also joined the SAD.
