News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

This article was first published 3 years ago
Rediff.com  » News » Assam: 171 votes cast in booth of 90 voters; officials suspended

Assam: 171 votes cast in booth of 90 voters; officials suspended

Source: PTI   -  Edited By: Utkarsh Mishra
April 05, 2021 15:11 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Total 171 votes were cast in a booth in Assam's Dima Hasao district, even though 90 people were eligible to exercise their franchise, officials said on Monday, revealing a massive irregularity.

 

IMAGE: Voters undergo thermal screening as they arrive to to cast their votes during the second phase of Assam assembly elections 2021, in Morigaon district. Photograph: PTI Photo

The booth is in the Haflong constituency, which went to the polls in the second phase on April 1.

Haflong witnessed 74 per cent polling.

As the incident came to light, the District Election Officer suspended five poll officials of the booth, set up at 107(A) Khotlir LP School, and proposed a repoll.

However, the official order for re-election at the booth, an auxiliary polling station of the main voting centre at Mouldam LP School, is yet to be issued.

The suspension order by the Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer of Dima Hasao was issued on April 2, the next day of polling, but it came to light on Monday morning.

Stating 'dereliction of duty', the EC suspended 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) with immediate effect.

The voters' list of the polling station had 90 names, but 171 votes were cast in the electronic voting machine (EVM), officials told PTI.

"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," an official said.

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.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Source: PTI  -  Edited By: Utkarsh Mishra© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
 
India Votes 2024

India Votes 2024