Kolkata, 23 April (H.S.) : Technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reported from several areas during the first phase of polling for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 on Thursday, causing delays in voting at some booths and triggering voter resentment.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal said all issues were being addressed promptly and normalcy would be restored soon.

Speaking to reporters after arriving at the CEO’s office on Thursday morning, Agarwal said complaints had been received from different locations. He assured voters that all technical problems were being resolved and that the polling process would continue smoothly.

In Malda district’s Mothabari area, voting reportedly could not begin on time due to an EVM malfunction. Polling was delayed well beyond the scheduled start time, leading to protests by voters. Angry residents surrounded the sector officer and lodged complaints.

Reacting to the incident, the CEO said Election Commission officials had reached the spot and were taking necessary action while efforts were underway to repair or replace the machines.

Complaints were also received from some other areas regarding malfunctioning surveillance cameras along with EVM issues. Agarwal said all such technical problems were being rectified immediately.

Meanwhile, a complaint of bombing was reported from the Nawada area of Murshidabad district. On this, the CEO said the matter had come to the notice of the authorities. He added that the incident took place some distance away from the polling station and strict action would be taken against those responsible.

Polling is underway for 152 Assembly constituencies in the first phase of the election. The Election Commission said extensive security arrangements had been put in place to ensure free, fair and peaceful voting, adding that any technical or law-and-order issue would be dealt with immediately.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh