During the ongoing phase of the Rajasthan panchayat elections 2026, a technical malfunction involving an electronic voting machine was reported from Dungarpur district. The voting process came to a complete halt for roughly two hours at booth number 88 in Bhiluda village, which falls under the Sagwara panchayat committee area. This unexpected disruption caused significant inconvenience to citizens who had gathered at the polling station in the morning hours. Local residents expressed sharp displeasure over the preparedness of the election department, criticizing the lack of timely alternative arrangements when the primary equipment failed.
Technical snag at Bhiluda polling booth
Polling was underway across several panchayat committees in Dungarpur district, including Jhothri, Simalwara, Bhandari, Chikhali, Galiakot, Sagwara, and Padwa. Amidst this statewide exercise, the machine at booth number 88 within the Sagwara region encountered a sudden technical failure shortly after voting commenced. At approximately 9:41 AM, the device stopped registering votes, freezing the entire electoral procedure on the spot and leaving voters stranded in queues.
Voter turnout and a two-hour delay
A total of 1,043 eligible voters were registered at booth number 88. Before the glitch occurred, only 144 individuals had successfully cast their ballots. Following the breakdown, voters waiting in line stood around for a prolonged period, but operations could not resume because the machine remained non-functional. Although authorities were promptly informed about the malfunction, a replacement unit took a considerable amount of time to reach the location. The two-hour suspension frustrated several people, causing some to leave the premises without voting, though the exact count of such individuals could not be verified.
Resumption of voting after replacement
The sudden breakdown and subsequent halt triggered noticeable anger among local villagers. Community members pointed out that during critical democratic exercises, authorities must maintain immediate backup arrangements to prevent long waiting hours for the public. Individuals who travelled from distant areas to participate faced immense hardship due to the delay. Eventually, at 11:50 AM, an election department team arrived at the booth with a fresh machine. The faulty unit was replaced, and officials restarted the voting process, allowing citizens to resume casting their ballots.
Reactions from candidates and public
The disruption drew sharp reactions from local candidates, including panchayat committee nominee Suresh Chandra Bhatt and district council member candidate Jayshree Pathak, alongside disgruntled voters at the site. The incident raised serious questions regarding administrative preparedness to handle sudden technical failures at polling centers. Although normalcy was restored after the installation of the new machine, the episode left many questioning whether the election administration will implement stricter preventive measures in the future.
