First randomisation of EVMs completed in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi districts

The first randomisation of electronic voting machines to be used in the district’s five Assembly constituencies was completed at the Collectorate on Monday.

Collector R. Sukumar, General Observers Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod and Anubha Shrivatsava and representatives of recognised political parties were present.

The electronic voting machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were randomly allotted to the five Assembly constituencies of Tirunelveli, Ambasamudram, Palayamkottai, Nanguneri and Radhapuram of the district.

In the first-level checking done by technicians from the Bharat Electronics Limited, 4,056 ballot units, 2,195 control units and 2,836 VVPATs were found to be poll-ready while 21 ballot units, 29 control units and 72 VVPATs were discarded due to malfunctioning.

After allotting 134 ballot, control and VVPAT units for training and poll awareness programmes being organised across the district, 2,012 ballot units, as many control units and 2,178 VVPATs are to be used in the 1,678 polling booths in five Assembly constituencies during the April 23 polling. Hence, the first randomisation of the EVMs was completed at the Collectorate.

After the EVMs were allotted to the Assembly segments during the first randomisation, the sealed strong room in which the EVMs had been kept after the first level checking was opened in the presence of Election Observers and representatives of political parties recognised by the Election Commission and the EVMs were sent to the Assembly constituencies in lorries with armed police protection.

District Revenue Officer M. Durai, Corporation Commissioner Monika Rana, Sub-Collector, Cheranmahadevi Ayush Gupta and other senior officials were present.

In Tenkasi district, Collector A.K. Kamal Kishore led the exercise in the presence of Observers Neeraj Kumar, Krishnakumar Singh and Eesha Priya for allotting 2,014 ballot units, as many control units and 2,182 VVPATs to Sankarankovil (Reserved), Vasudevanallur (Reserved), Kadayanallur, Tenkasi and Alangulam constituencies.