All parties welcome re-polling in Amritsar district

AMRITSAR: Relaxing after

hectic campaigning

and

poll management

, the candidates who contested elections from

Majitha assembly constituency

and Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency have suddenly been jerked into combat mode again after Election Commission (EC) ordered re-polling at some booths of the district.

The Election Commission on Monday directed Amritsar deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer (DEO) to hold re-polling for assembly and Lok Sabha bypolls at 28 election booths of Majitha constituency. The re-polling is scheduled to be held on February 9.

Reacting to it, Aam Aadmi Party (

AAP

) national organization building in charge Durgesh Pathak told TOI on Monday that their party had complained to the EC about the malfunctioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines.

“Our senior leader Sanjay Singh had met EC officials and informed about the technical snag in the EVMs and VVPATs,” Pathak said, adding that they were happy that the poll panel heeded their concerns.

He, however, said that EC should have prepared well in advance given the significance of Punjab elections. In the same breath, he also expressed concern over the security of strong rooms where EVMs were being stored till counting on March 11.

Even Congress candidate from Majitha assembly constituency Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli Majithia said, “This is good for the Congress. Our party had not sent any complaint to EC in this regard. There was a technical reason behind re-polling.”

He said at many booths, VVPATs didn’t work due to which elections could have been challenged so EC decided to hold re-polling on all such booths. “The Congress would benefit further by re-polling, there is a wave in favour of the party and even those who had voted for opponents will now vote for us,” he claimed. He too demanded that the strong rooms should be isolated and no one should be allowed to use even nearby rooms where EVMs had been kept.

Sarchand Singh, media adviser to cabinet minister Bikram Majithia, who is contesting from Majitha, said he didn’t think there was any need for re-polling since there was no violation of the election code of conduct or any malpractice during voting on February 4. However, he said the party still welcomed the decision of EC.