April 9 polls: Assam, Kerala Returning Officers conduct 2nd randomisation of EVMs
New Delhi, March 31
The ECI said on Tuesday that the second randomisation of EVMs has been carried out through the EVM Management System by the Returning Officers for the April 9 Assembly election in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, and for bye-elections in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura.
The list of first- and second-randomised EVMs and VVPATs will also be shared with all contesting candidates, in whose presence the second-phase exercise was undertaken, said a statement issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The EVMs are allotted to their respective polling stations via a two-stage randomisation process in the EVM Management System, the statement said.
In the first stage, the EVMs are randomly allocated from district-level warehouses to the Assembly Constituencies (ACs). In the second stage, EVMs are randomly allocated from the AC level to the polling station level, it said.
The ECI said a similar second randomisation of EVMs will also be done for the General Election to the Legislative Assemblies of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and for bye-elections in the remaining two states, as per procedure, after the last date of withdrawal of candidature.
A total of 1,955 candidates are in the fray for the Assembly elections in two states and a Union Territory, along with by-elections in four states, scheduled for April 9. The poll panel said 250 candidates withdrew their nominations after filing the papers earlier.
Among the states going to the polls, Assam, which has 126 Assembly seats, has 722 candidates in the fray. Kerala, with 140 seats, has 890 candidates, while the Union Territory of Puducherry, which has 30 seats, has 294 candidates contesting the elections.
As for by-elections, three candidates are in the fray for one seat in Goa. Karnataka's two seats have 34 candidates, while six candidates each are contesting the bye-elections for one seat in Nagaland and one seat in Tripura.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see the ECI being proactive. With so many candidates in Kerala and Assam, a fair and tamper-proof EVM system is crucial. Jai Hind!
The process seems robust on paper. My only respectful criticism is that the public demonstration of this randomisation could be more visible, maybe through live-streamed events? Transparency is key for voter confidence.
Nearly 2000 candidates! Democracy in full swing. The EVM management system sounds efficient. Hope the voting day is peaceful in all states.
Important to note they are doing this after the last date of withdrawal for TN and WB. Makes sense, otherwise they'd have to re-randomise if candidates pull out. Smart planning by ECI.
As a voter from Kerala, I appreciate the detailed procedure. It's reassuring. Now, let's hope for a high voter turnout on April 9th! 🇮🇳
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.