Nizamabad Constituency In Telanana Will Vote Through Paper Ballots. Reason, EVM's Can't Accommodate 185 Candidates

Since the 2004 General Elections, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been the only method that has been used to conduct polls in India, be it to the state assemblies or to the parliament.

Amid all the allegations about EVM hacking and tampering, there have been calls from various corners to return to paper ballots. The Election Commission which insists that its voting machines cannot be hacked has rejected all such demands. The Supreme Court too has ruled that the Lok Sabha elections 2019 will be conducted using EVMs.

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But Nizamabad In Telangana has become an exemption this year. The Election Commission has been 'forced to' go back to paper ballots in Nizamabad because there are more candidates in the fray than what can be accommodated on the EVMs.

Nizamabad, where TRS MP K Kavitha, daughter of state Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, is seeking re-election has a total of 185 valid candidates in the fray.

One EVM unit can only accommodate the names of 16 candidates and according to the ECI, a maximum of 4 units can be deployed in one polling booth.

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Altogether 503 candidates had filed nominations from Nizamabad which goes to polls on April 11, out of which 60 withdrew and others were disqualified.

The number of candidates shot up after aggrieved turmeric farmers from Nizamabad decided to contest the election as independents to press for their demands including a minimum support price for their crops.

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With no options left, the state election officials have confirmed that the vote will be held using paper ballots, which are yet to be printed. Additionally, they also have to arrange ballot boxes and allot symbols for each candidate.

Nizamabad may not be the only constituency facing the 'problem' of more candidate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Varanasi constituency which goes to polls on May 19 too could face a similar situation. Farmers from Tamil Nadu have warned that 111 of them will file their nominations from the seat for the Lok Sabha elections.

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They too are pressing for their demands, including profitable prices for farm produce included in the BJP's election manifesto. The farmers however said that they will contest the election if BJP fails to address their demands.