Nagpur: The returning officer (RO) for the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha byelection, Abhimanyu Kale, was transferred with immediate effect on Tuesday even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered re-polling in 49 booths following large-scale complaints of non-functioning EVMs and VVPATs during voting held on Monday.
The re-poll in the designated booths will be held from 7am to 6pm on Wednesday. However, at two booths of the Naxal-sensitive Arjuni Morgoan assembly segment, it will end at 3pm. The revised turnout figure for the votes cast on Monday was given by polling officials as 53.15% as voting continued till much after 6pm at many booths.
Kale was shunted out in the middle of the poll process apparently on the complaints of ECI observers deployed to oversee the by-election. He was relieved of the posts of RO for the bypoll as well as the district collector of Gondia with additional charge of Bhandara district.
He handed over charge to Kadambari Balkawde who was rushed Bhandara from Nagpur on express orders from the general administration department of the state government. She was holding office of CEO in Nagpur Zilla Parishad.
On Monday, the voters who braved a hot day with temperature of around 45 degrees Celsius in the twin districts had a tough time as voting machines and the pair trails attached to them failed to work in the extreme heat and dust. They had to wait for a few hours as engineers had to travel long distances in the vast constituency to repair or replace the machines.
Election official Vilas Thakre said there was huge rush of voters on Monday at polling stations after 5pm when the heat receded a few notches. As per guidelines of EC, all voters who stood in the queues by 6pm were allowed to cast their votes.
Voting continued up to 9pm in some stations at Sakoli. As a consequence, the voting figure of 38.65% reported at 5pm swelled to 53.15.
For most of the evening on Monday, returning officer Kale was closeted with ECI observers BK Upadhyay and Tejparatp Singh Phoolka. Before that, while talking to ToI, he had said there was no problem in casting votes as EVMs and faulty VVPAT units were being continuously repaired or replaced by engineers deployed on election duty.
But senior political leaders Praful Patel of NCP, Nana Patole of the Congress and Prakash Ambedkar of Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh had expressed grave doubts over the credulity of the polling process because of EVM errors.
Last week, NCP state unit president Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar and Dhanjay Munde had also filed complaints of breach of election code of conduct by the BJP. They had cited permission given by Kale to distribute to farmers relief for the losses suffered from ‘tudtudya’ infestation of paddy crop in last kharif season.
The funds were actually transferred to banks on the day CM Devendra Fadnavis campaigned in the constituency on May 25. There were also allegations about BJP agents offering to prospective voters cash as allurement. The EC observers may have sought action against Kale and recommended his removal without further delay.
A government official said roughly 700 to around 1000 voters are enlisted per booth depending on the population density and accessibility factors. So, it can be estimated that at least 45,000 would get a chance to vote during re-poll on Wednesday.
The assembly segment-wise break-up of the booths where re-polling is to be held are: Gondia 21, Bhandara 14, Sakoli 4, Tiroda 8 and Arjuni Morgaon 2.