Goa poll authorities have refuted media reports that all votes went to the BJP, irrespective of the button pressed, on an EVM which malfunctioned at a polling station in the South Goa Lok Sabha seat.
In a press statement released on April 26, Goa Chief Electoral Officer Kunal said such reports were "false, misleading and factually incorrect".
"It is clarified that the allegation of 17 votes being cast for BJP candidate during the first mock-poll with the defective machine is completely false, misleading and factually incorrect. In fact, during the said mock-poll, 17 votes were recorded in favour of the Indian National Congress' Cosme Francisco Caitano Sardinha," Kunal's statement informed.
He said the EVM and the VVPAT machine were replaced immediately and polling was conducted using new equipment from a reserve pool.