Photo caption.
Margao Returning Officer Uday Prabhudesai announcing a re-poll for booth No. 8 of the constituency after a lapse by the Presiding Officer. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
A serious lapse by the Presiding Officer forced the Election Commission to order re-poll in booth No. 8 of Margao constituency.
The incident occurred after the Presiding Officer Gokuldas P Naik forgot to wipe the votes cast in the EVM during the mock polling. A total of 50 votes were cast by the polling agents of candidates during the mock poll, but the presiding officer started actual polling without wiping off the mock poll votes.
The episode came to light only after 192 voters had cast their votes as the votes polled could not tally with the actual voting.
Election Observer for Margao constituency Mansi Nimbhal along with Returning Officer Uday Prabhduesai rushed to the polling station to work out a solution to the problem. It is learnt that the observer and the returning officer were ready to replace the EVM and also change the entire staff manning the polling station, including the presiding officer, but in vain.
District Collector Swapnil Naik told the media that the election authorities were willing to continue polling in the booth, which has a total of 791 votes, as it was possible to do a break-up of the mock poll votes and actual voting on a condition that the candidates agreed for continuation of polling. “Since the candidates did not agree on the continuation of polling, a re-poll was finally ordered by the ECI," he said, adding that a fresh date for re-polling would be announced by the ECI soon.
Voters, who had come to cast their votes returned home disappointed. A voter Shailajja told the media that she would miss the re-poll as she has already planned a trip outstation from Sunday.
Meanwhile, Collector Swapnil said the ECI has ordered an inquiry into the lapse by the presiding officer.
Meanwhile, around 12-13 EVMs had to be replaced after they developed technical snags in the morning session. At Nuvem, an EVM was replaced after it came to light that it was not programmed as per the symbol of candidates. Around 7-9 voters, who had cast their votes, were called again for voting.
