To ensure free and fair polls,electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used for the first time in the urban local bodies elections,which are due in November. Uttarakhand and Gujarat have already switched over to EVMs for urban local bodies polls. The State Election Commission (SEC) will purchase12,100 control units and 15,730 ballot units. The order for the EVMs is likely to be placed with the Electronic Corporation of India,for an estimated cost of about Rs 14 crore,within this week. The SEC is likely to get the EVMs in April. The rules relating to the Urban local bodies polls empower the chairman of the commission to either use the paper ballot or the EVMs,so we decided to go for the voting machines this time, said Rajendra Bhonwal,State Election Commissioner. We tried to obtain the EVMS from the Election Commission of India but they were unable to lend the machines since the Assembly elections in many states are due this year, he added. Moreover,Bhonwal said that the EVMs to be used in the urban local bodies polls will be kept in safe custody for a year in case any poll result is challenged in court. So it was not possible for the ECI to lend its machines for such a long period, he added.
