Lok Sabha Elections 2014 Results: Electronic voting machines glitch delays results announcement

NEW DELHI: There was an inexplicable delay on behalf of the Election Commission in declaring the final results of the Lok Sabha elections as the counting of votes dragged on until late night Friday.

According to election officials, this delay was because of a technical glitch in some electronic voting machines (EVMs), which made it difficult for counting officers to retrieve data.

The counting went on as late as 10.30 pm on Friday, said an official, who did not wish to be named. In 2009, the verdict was out in the evening.

More than 150 EVMs had the glitch because of which panel declared results late, sources in the Commission told ET.

"Wherever the margin is over one lakh, the EC is entitled to declare a winner even if a few EVMs remain uncounted. There are about 700 to 800 votes in each EVM.

Covering a margin of one lakh votes with a few dysfunctional EVMs is impossible," said the officer, adding that such technical issues were not unusual. Varanasi was one of the high-profile constituencies which was affected by this problem.

At one point counting updates had slowed down to a trickle and Narendra Modi's winning margin was not clear until late Friday night.

Luckily for the EC, this delay went largely unnoticed as political parties did not make any hue and cry over the slow progress of counting. The EC has been at the centre of a number of controversies including one surrounding the functioning of EVMs in which votes were polled for only one political party irrespective of the button pressed