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State has to spend Rs 48 cr on EVMs to appease netas
Updated On: 28 January, 2012 06:20 AM IST | | Ravikiran Deshmukh
Political leaders ask EC not to count results of Feb 7 Zilla Parishad and Panchayat elections ahead of Feb 16 civic polls, as it may influence how people vote. This means buying new EVMs, as the 44,250 machines used in local body polls cannot be reused
Political leaders ask EC not to count results of Feb 7 Zilla Parishad and Panchayat elections ahead of Feb 16 civic polls, as it may influence how people vote. This means buying new EVMs, as the 44,250 machines used in local body polls cannot be reused
In a sudden frenzy of acquisition, the government has approved a staggering sum of Rs 47.5 crore for the purchase of new electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Dharmesh Rathod
The urgency of the purchase is indicated by the fact that Rs 5 crore has been extracted from the state's Contingency Fund as a down payment for the machines. If sources are to be believed, the government has not made this sudden, unplanned purchase in anticipation of a greater voter turnout.
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Rather, the government has capitulated to mounting pressure put on it by many contesting political outfits, with the demand that counting for the elections to local bodies and municipal bodies scheduled nine days apart take place simultaneously after February 16, so that the results of the former do not influence the voting pattern in the latter.
This means that the 44,250 EVMs used for the local body elections cannot be reused for the civic body elections. The elections to local bodies 27 zilla parishads and 309 panchayat samitis are scheduled for February 7, while polling for the 10 municipal corporations will be held on February 16.
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The announcement of the far-flung dates had raised quite an outcry in political circles. Leaders had demanded that the results of the February 7 polls to local bodies only be announced after the voting for the all-important BMC seats were concluded on February 16.
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| An additional order of 44,250 EVMs have been made by the state government for the local body elections on February 7, so that they don't have to be reconfigured and reused for the BMC polls on February 16 How do you like the new new mid-day.com experience? Share your feedback and help us improve. Read Next Story Trending StoriesLatest Photos |
