7,430 EVMs to utilise in 9 constituencies

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

In the district, 183 candidates are contesting in the assembly elections. There are eight constituencies where the number of candidates exceeds 10, therefore, two EVMs will be placed for each polling station. However, only one EVM will be needed in the Vaijapur constituency as there are 10 candidates, said the Deputy Collector (election) Devendra Katke while addressing a press conference on Tuesday. Due to the increase in the number of candidates, a total of 7,430 voting machines will be needed. With the rise in the number of candidates, the administrative burden has increased. In the Kannad constituency, two EVMs will be used just for the "None of the Above" (NOTA) option.

Each EVM can accommodate up to 16 candidates, with NOTA as the last option. Only in Vaijapur will voting be conducted using a single EVM at each polling station. The district administration has 7,190 ballot units (BUs), 3,926 control units (CUs), and 4,250 VVPAT machines available. The total number of polling stations across all nine constituencies in the district is 3,273. Katke claimed that the required number of EVMs are available for the elections.

Administration's Stance on the 'Affidavit' Issue:

There was a complaint after the scrutiny of the affidavit filed by guardian minister Abdul Sattar along with his nomination papers, alleging that some information was concealed in his property declaration. In response, the administration underlined that the complainants will have to approach the court for resolution. Besides, two hearings have been conducted regarding complaints against the PWD engineer Ashok Yerekar. The final decision on these matters will be made by the evening of November 6, said the Zilla Parishad CEO Dr Vikas Meena.

Goods worth Rs 1.85 crore seized

Nodal Officer of the Code of Conduct Cell and ZP-CEO Dr Meena said, “ In various operations, goods worth Rs 1.85 crore have been seized. This includes Rs 12 lakh in cash, 15,287.93 litres of liquor valued at Rs 29.99 lakh, narcotic substances worth Rs 79.45 lakh, valuable metals worth Rs 55,000, and other gifts valued at Rs 63.87 lakh, totalling Rs 1.85 crore in seized materials.

Box

Two EVMs will be used in the district’s eight constituencies and one EVM in the Vaijapur Constituency. The number of candidates contesting from different constituencies include Sillod (24), Kannad (16), Phulambri (27), Aurangabad-Central (24), Aurangabad-West (18), Aurangabad-East (29), Paithan (17) and Gangapur (18).