The Election Commission on Tuesday said that there was a mismatch between actual votes cast and actual votes reflected on the EVMs in this Hubli-Dharwad Central, forcing the poll body to withdraw the result temporarily.
The BJP’s Jagdish Shettar was being shown leading by more than 20,000 votes when he was announced as the winner. However, following the mismatch in the EVM count and paper trail, the EC had temporarily withdrawn the result. It reportedly showed 207 votes more than the actual number. Later, the EC issued a statement declaring
A statement by the EC said, “If there is difference between EVM count and paper slip count, paper slip count prevails. Winning margin in Hubli Dharwad Constituency is more than 20000 and VVPAT slips counted in polling station no 135 A is only 459. Hence, in accordance with the rule 56 D(b), the returning officer has announced the result after proper and complete verification and counting of the voter slips and declared Jagadish Shettar as the winner.”
If there is difference b/w EVM count & paper slip count,paper slip count prevails.Winning margin in Hubli Dharwad Constituency is more than 20000 & VVPAT slips counted in polling station no 135 A is only 459.Hence RO declared Jagadish Shettar as the winner: EC #KarnatakaElections pic.twitter.com/8d2r5naoeA
— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2018
The news of the mismatch in the EVM count and the number reflected on VVPAT machine dominated the social media conversation with many casting doubts on the reliability of the voting machines.
Huge news. This is why 25% audit of VVPAT and EVM count is MUST. EC has to take stock of data and climb down from its anti democracy stand. https://t.co/HoSpadPGvF
— Arvind Jha (@jalajboy) May 15, 2018
Don’t suspect the intelligence of people. I would rather suspect the intelligence of machines than humans. What if EVMs are the culprits. What if there are more cases like Jagdish Shettar’s constituency? Why not count 100% VVPATs? Wake up @RahulGandhi @ArvindKejriwal
— Smart Politics (@SmartManifesto) May 15, 2018
EVM Machine counts votes more than polled in Karnataka. Election Commission halts the result of Hubli Dharwad BJP Candidate Jagdish Lal Shettar, current Opposition leader.
Still they say, EVMs can’t he hacked!#KarnatakaElectionResults2018 #KarnatakaVerdict
— Abdullah Bin Mubarak (@iamabdudotcom) May 15, 2018
The big #EVM scam reveal of hubli dharwad announced the election of #BJP jagdish shettar after the electoral vvpat count. The vote of evm and vvpat were not matched..
Bjp now at 103..
Ashamed on media anchors who supported evm loudly ?#KarnatakaVerdict#VaranasiTragedy#Kumasi pic.twitter.com/70nuvilvGm— Paras Indian (@ParasIndian) May 15, 2018
The BJP won 104 seats, while the Congress ended up securing 78 seats and the Janata Dal Secular-BSP combine 38 seats. Later, the Congress said that the two independent MLAs had announced their support to it, thereby taking its tally to 80.
The Congress has decided to support the JDS-led government and even staked their claim to form the government on Tuesday. The BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa too met the governor on Tuesday to stake his claim to form the governor. The governor, Vajubhai Vala, who is a BJP veteran and had even vacated his Rajkot seat in 2002, when Narendra Modi needed to win an election after the party made him the Gujarat CM, is yet to take a call.