Five poll officials have been suspended in Assam after the Election Commission reportedly found that 171 votes were cast at a booth in Dima Hasao district that has just 90 registered voters, reported Times of India.
The booth is in the Haflong constituency that voted in the second phase on April 1, 2021. The constituency is officially won by the BJP’s Bir Bhadra Hagjer in 2016 – recording only 74 percent polling.
Shortly after the massive irregularity was uncovered, the District election officer, suspended five poll officials of the booth, set up at 107(A) Khotlir LP School.
The recent reports suggest that the poll body plans to issue a re-poll order for this booth, which was an auxiliary polling station for the main center. However, an official order is yet to be issued.
“The Presiding and 1st Polling officer, in their statements, have admitted that they allowed the voters registered against the main polling station to cast their votes in the auxiliary polling station,” the Election Commission said in a press release issued on Monday.
Seikhosiem Lhangum (Sector Officer), Prahlad Ch Roy (Presiding Officer), Parameswar Charangsa (1st Polling Officer), Swaraj Kanti Das (2nd Polling Officer) and Lalzamlo Thiek (3rd Polling Officer) have been suspended, with immediate effect, added the Times of India report.
The suspension of poll officials was ordered by the Deputy Commissioner-cum- District Election Officer of Dima Hasao district on April 2, but it came to light on Monday morning.
The Times of India report also quoted an official saying, “The head of that interior village refused to accept the voters’ list and brought a list of his own. Then, the people of the village voted according to that list.”
It was not immediately known why the polling officials accepted the village head’s demand and whether there was any security personnel present at the polling station or the role they played, reported Times of India.
This is the second incident since the EC has proposed re-polling in Assam this year after it directed a new round of voting for the Ratabari seat.
Earlier this week, a major controversy erupted after images of election officials transporting an EVM (electronic voting machine) in a BJP BJP candidate’s car surfaced last Saturday.
