Shimla, November 10: The Election Commission used hundreds of voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections but it malfunctioned at 129 polling stations for several hours on Thursday. VVPAT machines were used for the first time in the Himachal Pradesh polls at all polling stations. Also Read - In Absence of Sonia And Rahul, Congress Leaders to Meet Tomorrow to Discuss Organisational Issues

Chief Electoral Officer of the state Pushpendra Rajput said the machines developed a glitch at some places but were rectified, Hindustan Times reported. Also Read - Parliament LIVE: 'Black Day of Parliamentary Democracy in India,' Congress's Scathing Attack on Govt

Even though the EC has launched a drive to train officials on the use of VVPAT, polling staff at some stations faced difficulty in operating them. Also Read - Farm Bills to be Tabled in Rajya Sabha Today; Oppn Puts United Front, BJP Seeks Support From Regional Parties | Top Points

Polling could not begin at Deleg polling station in Bilaspur district till 12 noon. Similar problem was faced by voters in Kaza. “The machine developed a snag at 11 AM. It took an hour for technicians to fix the problem. The machine again stopped functioning at 4 PM leading to another delay in polling,” Tenzin, a voter, said.

Polling stations in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts reported similar issues.

The commission installed 11,115 VVPAT machines at 7,525 polling stations across all the 68 constituencies in the hill state. Even during the mock drill, 347 machines developed a technical snag at 218 polling booths, the EC officials said.

The state recorded its highest turnout in Assembly polls, with 74.45 per cent of voters taking part in an election which is witnessing a direct contest between Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. Sixty sitting MLAs figure among the 337 candidates fighting for a seat in the 68-member Assembly in Himachal Pradesh. The counting of votes will be on December 18.