Poonjar VVPAT glitch: More BJP votes, Collector intervenes

Kottayam: A glitch in the voting machine at booth 36 in the Poonjar assembly constituency of the Pathanamthitta parliamentary constituency has sparked controversy, with allegations surfacing that the BJP candidate gained an additional vote during inspection held before the mock poll. However, Chief Electoral Officer S Prem Krishnan has clarified that the incident was the result of a technical error arising from not setting the timer in the VVPAT.

The issue arose during the inspection of the voting machine where nine votes, including those for eight candidates and NOTA, were recorded for verification. However, during the subsequent count of VVPAT, it was found that instead of nine votes, there were ten. Two votes were erroneously allocated to Anil K Antony under the lotus symbol, prompting a complaint from UDF leader K U Ramesh.

According to the Pathanamthitta constituency Chief Electoral Officer and District Collector S Prem Krishnan, the malfunction was caused by the sudden shutdown of the voting machine at booth 36. He explained that the problem arose during a test print of candidate names, which took longer than usual. As a result, the technician switched off the machine early, leading to an incomplete printing of ballot slips.

During the subsequent mock poll, the paper slip from the initial test print, along with nine others, inadvertently fell into the tray of the VVPAT. However, it was clearly marked as ‘Not to be counted.’ Political party representatives were briefed on the situation and reassured that it would be resolved by setting a timer.