India
-Krishna Kripa
In
a
startling
incident
in
Madhya
Pradesh’s
Betul
district,
a
bus
transporting
polling
officials
and
electronic
voting
machines
(EVMs)
caught
fire
late
Tuesday
night.
The
fire,
which
erupted
near
Gola
village
around
11
pm,
was
attributed
to
a
spark
in
the
bus.
Despite
the
severity
of
the
blaze,
which
completely
destroyed
the
vehicle,
Betul
Collector
Narendra
Suryavanshi
confirmed
that
all
polling
staff
and
the
driver
emerged
unscathed.
image
The
unfortunate
event
led
to
damage
to
EVMs
from
six
polling
stations,
specifically
booth
numbers
275
through
280.
Out
of
these,
four
EVMs
sustained
damage,
affecting
either
a
control
unit
or
a
ballot
unit
within
each
machine.
The
fire
services
promptly
responded,
extinguishing
the
flames
that
had
engulfed
the
bus.
At
the
time
of
the
incident,
six
polling
parties
were
aboard,
along
with
an
equal
number
of
EVMs.
Fortunately,
two
of
these
machines
were
saved
from
harm.
Regarding
the
potential
impact
of
this
incident
on
the
vote
count
recorded
by
the
damaged
EVMs,
Suryavanshi
stated
his
intention
to
report
the
matter
to
the
Election
Commission.
The
decision
on
whether
re-polling
will
be
necessary
for
the
affected
booths
rests
with
the
commission.
This
incident
comes
in
the
wake
of
a
significant
turnout
for
the
Betul
Lok
Sabha
seat,
where
a
total
polling
percentage
of
72.65
was
recorded,
according
to
a
poll
official.
The
swift
action
by
emergency
services
prevented
any
injuries
among
those
present
on
the
bus,
highlighting
the
importance
of
prompt
and
efficient
response
in
such
situations.
The
focus
now
shifts
to
the
Election
Commission
as
it
deliberates
on
the
need
for
re-polling
in
light
of
the
damaged
EVMs.
This
occurrence
underscores
the
challenges
faced
during
the
electoral
process
and
the
resilience
of
those
involved
in
ensuring
its
integrity.
