Karnataka polls: EVM in Bengaluru only registering votes for BJP's lotus symbol, says Congress leader

Bengaluru: An EVM at a polling booth was registering votes only for the BJP’s ‘Lotus’ symbol irrespective of which button was pressed, Congress leader Brijesh Kalappa claimed on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_4331231” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “There are five booths opposite my parents’ apartment at RMV II stage (in the northern suburb). In the second booth, any button pressed registers a vote only to ‘kamal ke phool’ (lotus). Angry voters are returning without casting their vote,” tweeted Congress spokesman Kalappa as Karnataka voted to elect a new Assembly. The Congress leader alleged that voting from the booth was stopped by the Election Commission officials for a while and later resumed. The EC, however, has so far not confirmed the alleged malfunction of the particular EVM. Since polling began at 7 am across 222 of the total 224 constituencies, there have been reports of EVMs malfunctioning in few booths; power crisis in a polling station in Rajajinagar seat; voter’s names missing at few booths and burka-clad women forced to reveal their faces at a Belagavi polling booth – leading to few hiccups.