Voting in Rajasthan's Sikar district was disrupted for around 40 minutes on Tuesday after Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioned at two polling booths during the panchayat elections. The machines developed technical problems at booths 93 and 97, located at the government school in Harsh Gram Panchayat, at around 7:20 am. Voting resumed at approximately 8 am after the issues were resolved.
District Congress president Sunita Gathala visited the polling station and questioned the administration's arrangements over the disruption.
Polling for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members began at 7 am on November 3 across Sikar district. Voters had started queuing outside the polling station at the government school in Harsh village early in the morning.
However, shortly after polling began, EVMs at booths 93 and 97 developed technical problems, forcing officials to suspend voting at both locations. Voters who had arrived to cast their ballots had to wait until the machines were restored.
Voting resumed after approximately 40 minutes, at around 8 am.
The disruption affected voters who had arrived early to cast their ballots before heading to work.
Following reports of the EVM malfunction at the two booths, Sunita Gathala, the Congress candidate from Ward No. 11 and district Congress president, reached the polling station.
She expressed dissatisfaction with the administration's arrangements and questioned why voting had been disrupted shortly after polling began.
Gathala said that most people preferred to vote during the morning hours. She described the malfunction at the beginning of polling as a major administrative lapse and said that such difficulties during an important democratic process could not be tolerated.
Voting subsequently resumed at both booths, allowing voters to cast their ballots in turn.
Elections are being held for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members across five Panchayat Samiti areas in Sikar district.
A total of 103 members will be elected, including 14 Zila Parishad members and 89 Panchayat Samiti members.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm. Voters are casting their ballots through EVMs.
Preparations for the elections had been completed ahead of polling. Polling teams were dispatched to their respective centres from SK Girls College in Sikar, and election materials were provided to the personnel to ensure that the process could begin at the scheduled time.
Voters turned out at several polling stations across Sikar district during the panchayat elections.
In Sarwadi village, 80-year-old Ramu Devi arrived in a wheelchair to cast her vote. Despite her advanced age and mobility difficulties, she participated in the electoral process.
At the model polling station set up at the government school in Khachariyawas, a special entrance was arranged to welcome voters. Arrangements were also made to receive people arriving at the polling centre.
In Harsh village, voters had been queuing since the morning. Although the EVM malfunction temporarily disrupted polling at two booths, voting resumed after the technical problems were resolved.
Following the elections for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members, polling for Panch and Sarpanch posts will take place on November 5.
The elections will be held across 134 Gram Panchayats in the five Panchayat Samiti areas of the district.
While EVMs are being used for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, ballot papers will be used for the Panch and Sarpanch elections.
Polling for the November 3 elections will continue until 6 pm, with the candidates' votes being recorded through EVMs.
