PM uses paper slip due to technical fault in electronic voting

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's vote was wrongly shown against an official bill concerning Orissa due to technical fault in electronic voting system in Rajya Sabha today.

Singh was later asked to cast his vote on a paper slip as the bill was put for division.

Deputy chairman K Rahman Khan said, "Let him not press the button. There is some mechanical problem."

Singh was not the only member who could not cast his vote through the electronic system.

The problem first arose during the process for passing the Constitution (113th) Amendment Bill. Singh's vote could not be cast at all when he pressed the button in support.

Even as all the 169 members had cast the vote in support of the bill, the screen read only 147 votes. Those whose votes could not be recorded by the system also included CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat.

The problem continued when various clauses of the Orissa (the Alteration of Name) Bill were put to division.

Though all members present in the House supported the bill, the system monitor read 144 members as supporting the bill, one member opposing it and another abstaining from it.

The prime minister's vote was at this time wrongly recorded in "Noes" category.

"There is something wrong. We will get it corrected," Khan said.