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 Friday, 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.
"Political parties, candidates and general public are informed that during the mock poll, the EVM was found to be malfunctioning, due to which it was replaced with a completely new set from the reserve pool," he said in the statement.
The issue of the malfunctioning EVM was raised by Aam Aadmi Party's South Goa Lok Sabha candidate Elvis Gomes.
Polls to the two Lok Sabha seats in the state took place on April 23.