Mumbai polls In a first Printing Auxiliary Display Units to be used to tide over counting glitch

Mumbai, Jan 12 (PTI) Printing Auxiliary Display Units (PADU) will be used in the January 15 Mumbai civic polls for the first time to facilitate vote counting in the event of technical glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Addressing a press conference, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who is also the District Election Officer for the upcoming polls in the metropolis, said 140 PADUs have been received.
PADU units have been received from Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) as backup units, he said, adding that these, like the other EVM units, will remain with Returning Officers and will be used only in case of emergency.
"Probably these (PADU units) won't be required, but will be used as a backup option for the first time if any emergency situation arises. It is a kind of replica of control unit and it will be used if the display of control units become non-functional due to any reason," Gagrani explained.
A BMC release said M3A EVMs, also developed by BEL, will be used for the civic polls in Mumbai.
The civic body has received 20000 control units and 25000 ballot units for the polls, which have been stored at two locations - Vikhroli and Kandivali East, it said.
At Vikhroli, 10,800 control and 13500 ballot units have been stored, while 9200 control and 11500 ballot units have been stored at Kandivali East godowns, it added.
As per the prescribed procedure, votes recorded on the machines are counted by connecting the control unit with the ballot unit. If technical difficulties arise during counting even after the two units are connected, the PADU will be used to complete the counting process.
In line with directions of the State Election Commission, the civic body has received 140 PADU units, which will be deployed as required during the counting process.
Civic polls will take place on January 15, while votes will be counted the next day. There are 1700 candidates in the metropolis, comprising 878 females and 822 males.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)