The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission that many Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used for polling on Monday in Bihar did not accept votes for anything other than the lantern, the election symbol of the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal.

State BJP campaign committee convener Chandra Mohan Rai told reporters in Patna that many voters in Motihari, Sheohar, Darbhanga, Madhubani and Bettiah complained that whatever button was pressed in the EVM, the light glowed only in front of the lantern, giving the vote to the RJD.

Though voters in about 31 booths in the five parliamentary constituencies highlighted the defect to the polling officers, the latter turned a blind eye and continued with the polling with the same machines.

Even if somebody pressed the button in front of the BJP's election symbol, the light used to glow in front of the lantern he alleged adding RJD workers had fiddled with the EVMs.