MES fields 48 candidates in Belagavi, Election Commission may bring ballot paper back

BELAGAVI: The Election Commission is considering using old-fashioned ballot papers in Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency if more than 64 candidates remain in the fray after scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations.
Till Thursday, the last day of filing nominations, officials received as many as 76 nominations from 67 candidates. Among them are 48 Maharashtra Ekikarana Samiti (MES) members who plan to contest as independents.MES wanted to field 101 candidates from the constituency, but could not make it due to a dispute between its two factions.
Sources in the Election Commission say there is a provision to use four electronic voting machines (EVMs) at each polling booth. Each EVM can accommodate names of 16 candidates, which means the names of 64 candidates can be adjusted in four EVMs. However, if the number exceeds 64, the EC must use ballot paper. Sources said the Election Commission has decided to use ballot papers in one constituency in Telangana which has 118 candidates in the fray.
The EC is now waiting for withdrawal and scrutiny of nominations to ascertain the number of candidates who will remain in the fray. If the number is 64 or less, the EC will allocate four EVMs at each polling booth. There are 2,064 polling stations in Belagavi constituency and the EC will have to use 8,184 EVMs.
MES leaders failed to gather the 101 candidates it had announced they would field from Belagavi. Of the 48 candidates, 46 are not residents of Belagavi city. Most of the MES candidates who filed their nominations are from surrounding villages that are opposing the Centre’s Ring Road project. Most of them may lose their land for the project.