3 hours ago
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The first-level checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units to beryllium utilized for the bye-election to the Perundurai Assembly constituency, for which the day is yet to beryllium announced, commenced successful Erode territory connected Tuesday (June 16, 2026).
The bypoll was necessitated after S. Jayakumar of the AIADMK, who won the Assembly predetermination held this April by defeating Thoppu Venkatachalam alias N.D. Venkatachalam of the DMK by a borderline of 9,693 votes, resigned his spot and joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) wrong 2 weeks of being elected. The constituency has an electorate of 2,14,431 and recorded a elector turnout of 92.47% successful the 2026 Assembly election.
District Election Officer and Collector S. Kandasamy inaugurated the workout astatine the EVM warehouse located connected the premises of the Revenue Divisional Office. Officials said the verification process would beryllium carried retired implicit 5 days. Six engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) person been engaged to inspect the EVMs and VVPAT units projected for usage successful the bypoll.
The checking is being conducted successful the beingness of representatives of recognised governmental parties and successful accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Arrangements, including a static Internet Protocol (IP) facility, person been made to alteration monitoring by the Chief Electoral Officer and the ECI. Police information has besides been provided astatine the warehouse.
Officials said the functionality, method fittingness and usability of the machines were being examined arsenic portion of the FLC process. The unafraid warehouse was opened successful the beingness of governmental enactment representatives earlier the commencement of the exercise.
A full of 584 Ballot Units, 584 Control Units and 584 VVPAT units are being verified for usage successful 292 polling stations successful the constituency, representing 200% of the required fig of machines. Following the completion of the FLC, mock polls volition beryllium conducted connected machines selected successful accordance with ECI guidelines and successful the beingness of representatives of governmental parties. Officials said each election-related preparatory enactment was being undertaken successful a transparent mode and successful compliance with ECI norms.
Among those contiguous were Assistant Director of Town Panchayats Venkatesan, Personal Assistant (Elections) to the Collector Maheswari, Tahsildar Shanmuga Sundaram, officials of assorted departments and representatives of recognised governmental parties.
