Lok Sabha Polls, Phase 2: Man Uses Iron Rod To Damage EVM At Polling Booth In Maharashtra, Detained

Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: The 26-year-old man was detained by police. He told them that he wanted a pro-farmer and pro-labourer government.

Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: The 26-year-old man was detained by police. He told them that he wanted a pro-farmer and pro-labourer government.

Source : PTI

Lok Sabha Polls Phase 2: A man allegedly damaged an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) by hitting it with an iron object when he arrived to cast his vote at a polling booth at Rampuri in Maharashtra's Nanded district on Friday, a police official said. The 26-year-old man was detained by police. He told them that he wanted a pro-farmer and pro-labourer government.

Speaking to PTI, Nanded Superintendent of Police (SP) Shrikrushna Kokate said, "The man, Bhaiyyasaheb Edke, is a local resident and a registered voter of Rampuri booth. He came to the polling booth to cast his vote, but damaged an EVM with an iron object. He was immediately detained and the voting process continued soon afterwards as the broken machine was replaced with a new one". In order to ascertain the motive behind his act of damaging the EVM, police launched an investigation, he said.

"The man says he wants a pro-farmer and pro-labourer government in place. We are trying to find out if he is linked to any political party. He is well-educated and has done courses in law and journalism. He was in Pune for 10 months before he returned to his village," the SP further stated. 

Polling has concluded in 88 constituencies across 13 states and union territories in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. States that went to polls were: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu And Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

In the second phase of polling, voting was held on 88 constituencies across 13 states and union territories, with an overall turnout of 60.96%. Lok Sabha elections are set to be held across India in seven phases between April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.