The fight against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) has set off a new trend in Andhra Pradesh with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) flooding the Election Commission with a large number of dummy candidates to force the authorities to revert to ballot papers.
In a clever move to compel the poll panel to use ballot boxes, instead of EVMs, in the July 27 bypoll in the Telangana region, the TRS has encouraged a large number of Independents to file nominations.
As per the Election Commission guidelines, EVMs can be used for a maximum number of 64 candidates in each constituency. Each EVM has two units: a control unit, which records the number of votes of each candidate, and a ballot unit where the voter presses the button against a candidate. A ballot unit can accommodate a maximum number of 16 candidates and a maximum of four such ballot units can be connected to the control unit in each polling booth.
Exploiting this technical limitation to its advantage, the TRS has ensured that more 64 candidates filed their papers in each constituency. The byelections are to be held in 12 constituencies in the region.
The TRS, which is fighting for a separate Telangana state, is strongly opposed to the use of EVMs on the ground that they are not foolproof and are amenable to tampering and manipulation. It is argued that the EC will have no option but to switch over to ballot papers if the number of contesting candidates in each constituency exceeds 64.
As many as 926 candidates filed nomination papers in the 12 Assembly constituencies going to the polls. Except in the Nizamabad (Urban) constituency, where state Congress president D Srinivas is contesting, the number of nominations exceeded 64 in each constituency.
நம்ம தமிழக கட்சிகளும் இதை பின்பற்றலமே.......
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