Kolkata, April 7 (IANS) Repoll will be held in two booths in West Bengal on April 11 due to electronic voting machine malfunction during the first phase of the assembly elections, an Election Commission official said here on Thursday.
"Due to EVM malfunction, repoll has been scheduled in two booths, one in West Midnapore (Vivekanda Sikhshya Niketan Room No. 2) and one at Bankura (Ranibandh Girls Higher Secondary School) on April 11 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.," additional chief electoral officer Dibyendu Sarkar told the media here. On April 11, the second part of the first phase of polls will see 31 assembly segments go to the hustings.
Over 84 percent voters turned out to cast their ballots in 18 constituencies in the first part of the first phase of the West Bengal assembly polls on April 4, the poll panel had announced on Wednesday. Polling was held for 18 seats -- nine in Purulia, three in Bankura and six in West Medinipur.
Initial, the Commission had declared a provisional turnout percentage of 80.92 on the polling day.
Queried on the increase, Sarkar said the initial figures are provisional and since voting continued beyond 6.30 p.m., the percentage rose.
"The initial figure is an indicative figure. Returning officers submitted the data as per instructions and on time. It took time to collate the data as connectivity is a problem in those areas," he said.
