The big fight for Kairana’s Lok Sabha seat is underway. While the initial voter turnout in Kairana seems dismal, the complaints related to faulty electronic voting machines (EVM) have started to surface.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Tabassum Begum has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission. The complaint pertains to EVM tampering and malfunctions being reported from different localities of five Assembly segments of the parliamentary constituency. According to Begum, 18 booths in Shamli, 11 booths in Kairana and 21 booths in Gangoh Assembly constituency are facing issues related to EVM malfunctioning.

Making serious allegation against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Begum told news agency ANI, EVMs are being tampered everywhere and faulty machines haven’t been replaced in the Muslim- and Dalit-dominated areas. “They (BJP) think they can win polls like this. That won’t happen,” the former MP said.

The RLD – supported by Samajwadi Party and BSP – is in direct contest with the incumbent BJP. The election on Kairana Lok Sabha seat was necessitated due to the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh. His daughter Mriganka Singh is taking on Begum in the bypoll.

The bypolls are being held on four Lok Sabha constituencies and ten Assembly constituencies in different states across the country. Voting in 35 booths of Maharashtra Bhandara–Gondiya Lok Sabha seat has been temporarily suspended due to complaints of faulty EVMs. “Voting temporarily suspended for now at 35 polling booths due to faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVM),” District Magistrate Abhimanyu Kale was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has lambasted the BJP. Voting for Noorpoor Assembly bypolls of Uttar Pradesh is underway and the SP has alleged that at least 140 EVMs have been reported as faulty. SP leader Rajendra Chaudhary told ANI, “They (BJP) want to avenge defeat in Phulpur & Gorakhpur, which is why they want to defeat us at any cost.”