Malfunctioning EVMs delay polling in some booths

Coimbatore: Polling was delayed for at least an hour in a few polling stations in byelection for Sulur assembly constituency on Sunday as electronic voting machines (EVMs) malfunctioned. The voting resumed after EVMs were replaced.
After 185 voters cast their votes, EVM at polling station number 37 at Elachipalayam village near Karumathampatti developed some technical problem. Voting was stopped for more than an hour because of this.
Alternative EVM was brought to the polling booth and the polling resumed around 11.10am.
An EVM was not functioning properly in a polling station (number 116) at Karumathampatti and the election commission gave extra 30 minutes till 6.30pm for voters to cast their votes. Another EVM malfunctioned at a polling station located at St Mary high school at Karumathampatti and voters were waiting for alternative EVM. After the verification in the presence of booth agents, the alternative EVM was used in the booth.
Sulur AIADMK candidate Kandasamy visited the polling station at Vadambacheri in a car with flags of AIADMK and allied parties. As per ECI norms, the officials should not allow any vehicle to the polling stations and the vehicle should be stopped before 200m from the polling station.
After the end of polling, EVMs and VVPATs were sealed and brought to the strong room located at the Government College of Technology premises on Thadagam Road. The strong room will be sealed in the presence of the election observer, district election officer and district collector K Rajamani and other officials.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) and Armed police, Coimbatore city, were deployed at the strong room for the protection and CCTV cameras fixed at the strong room and it connected with the temporary control room in the college premises.