EC may re-run voting in one centre of ward-8

The Rajshahi regional election office is likely to hold a re-election in one of the three centres in ward-8 where votes for the general councillor post could not be counted in one booth, as its electronic voting machine went out of order during the city corporation polls on June 15.
Announcement of results at Rajshahi Teachers Training College centre was withheld after one of the seven EVMs of the centre went out of order just before vote counting. The re-run of voting in the centre may take place on June 29 through the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs.
Returning Officer Shubhash Chandra Sarker told The Daily Start that a proposal was sent to the Election Commission for holding the re-election. The EC may send an official order on the proposal today, he added.
Sarker said, “The incident of the EVM going dysfunctional occurred in Rajshahi for the first time in the country, and there is no specific direction about what to do in such a situation in the EVM related laws. So, we decided on re-election in the centre following laws involving ballot papers.” If the proposal is approved, a total of 2,418 voters of the centre will have to cast their votes again on June 29, he added.
There are a total of 6,822 voters in ward-8. Of the 4,923 votes cast, outgoing councillor Abdul Hamid secured 1,888 votes while his closest rival SM Mahubul Haque got 1,775. On the whole, Mahubul trails Hamid by 121 votes except the 310 votes cast in the booth where the EMV broke down. Both the contestants are backed by the Awami League.
In the TTC centre where 1,775 out of 2,417 votes were cast, Hamid got 152 votes and Mahubul polled 1,199.
Hamid filed a petition with the returning officer demanding re-election in the entire ward instead of one centre only, arguing that Mahubul would influence the voters as the TTC centre was located in his own area.
On the other hand, Mahubul demanded re-voting only in the specific booth where the EVM went dysfunctional. He argued that many of his voters left Rajshahi after the voting day.
A total of five persons ran for the general councillor post in ward-8.