Voters wait to cast their votes for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in Jabalpur. (AP photo)

BHOPAL/NEW DELHI: A record turnout and controversial EVM glitches marked voting day in Madhya Pradesh. A whopping 75 per cent voters — 3 per cent higher than 2013 — cast their ballot in the most hotly contested elections in 15 years. As many as 2,236 EVMs malfunctioned, prompting Congress to cry foul and demand re-polling at these places.

In Mizoram, keeping up with the tradition of high polling rates, 80 per cent of the electorate turned up to vote. The Election Commission said the poll percentage may go beyond the 2013 figure of 80.82 per cent by the time reports from remote areas arrive.

In MP’s Satna district alone, more than 20 per cent VVPAT machines had to be changed, delaying polling. PCC chief Kamal Nath and MP Jyotiraditya Scindia raised the alarm early in the day and demanded that the EC extend voting hours.

Chief electoral officer of Madhya Pradesh, V L Kantha Rao, said around 3 per cent of VVPATs had to be changed. "This is lower than the number of VVPATs changed during polling in Karnataka and Kairana elections. In Chhattisgarh, 2 per cent VVPAT machines were changed," he said.

"Reports are coming from across the state that EVMs are not working. This is affecting polling," Kamal Nath tweeted. Scindia tweeted: "We have written to Election Commission that voting time in these booths should be extended."

Sources, however, told TOI that in Karnataka and Kairana, VVPATs were used only on a pilot basis and it was only in Chhattisgarh that VVPATs were used in 100 per cent polling booths.

CEC O P Rawat said the high rate of VVPAT malfunction in Satna was because the VVPATs belonged to the batch used in Kairana and Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bypolls in May this year where large-scale VVPAT snags were reported (11.6 per cent machines had to be replaced).

"Satna was the first to get delivery of VVPATs ahead of the Madhya Pradesh elections . VVPAT design was meanwhile improved upon, with production having been stopped for two months. While the remaining constituencies in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram got the new-age VVPATs, Satna ended up getting delivery of the old lot since there is no system of phasing out the old batch of VVPATs," Rawat told TOI.

EC sources say the average failure rate of VVPATs is 1.5-1.6 per cent. "At 2.5 per cent in Madhya Pradesh, it is a concern, but not much higher than the average failure rate," Rawat said.

Despite the glitches, voting surpassed expectations — even the lowest turnout of 63 per cent in Alirajpur was still 8 per cent higher than 2013. The highest voting was in Chhindwara, 83 per cent.

Both Congress and BJP feel the high turnout will go their way. While CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the high turnout is a sign that people trust in his vikas mantra, adding that BJP will "win comfortably", Nath believed people have shown BJP the door and Congress will win 140 seats.

"Overall 75 per cent voter turnout has been reported from all over the state. As voting continued till late in the evening, there could be a marginal increase in the figures," Rao said.

Scattered violence was reported in Bhind district where shots rang out at four places despite EC putting candidates of five seats under "house arrest" till 4.30pm to prevent violence. The administration claimed they had only been called for a meeting. In Mehgaon assembly seat, a voter was shot in the head and critically injured.

A BJP polling agent was attacked in a booth in Ater and clashes broke out between BJP and Congress supporters in Akoda village. Shots were fired at three places near polling booths in Bhind city.

On the EVM malfunctions, Rao said, "In Satna constituency, the returning officer fell short of standby EVMs and replacements had to be brought from neighbouring constituencies and districts. They had to be recalibrated, but polls started smoothly at all polling booths of the district at 1.30pm."



In Video: Congress claims tampering in EVMs, wants re-polling