Election Commission suspends officials, orders re-polling at Faridabad booth

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Monday suspended the presiding officer Asoti in Faridabad and ordered repolling at the booth after it was found that a polling agent had forced a voter to press button for the BJP during polling on Sunday.

“On enquiry by the Observer, the complaint was found to be true. Commission has therefore ordered a fresh poll at this polling station on 19th of May 2019,” the EC said in a statement.

The incident took place at Asawati village in the Faridabad parliamentary constituency where polling was held on May 12.

“An FIR was lodged uunder secion 171 C (undue influence at elections) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of IPC and section 135 of RP Act, 1951 against the polling agent Mr. Giriraj Singh. The presiding office Amit Atri has been placed under suspension for the dereliction of duty and criminal action is also being initiated against the Presiding officer. The micro observer Sonal Gulati has not reported the incident correctly for which the commission has barred her from any election related work for three years,” the EC added.

Taking a serious note of failure to take immediate action on the incident, the poll body said the Returning Officer 10 of Faridabad constituency has been transferred out from present posting. IAS officer Ashok Kumar Garg has been posted by the EC as new RO of the Faridabad constituency.

The Faridabad election office had on Sunday said that the polling agent who was trying to influence voters was arrested on Sunday. It was reported that he yried to influence at least three women voters asking them to vote for the BJP.

A BJP polling agent has been arrested for allegedly trying to influence voters at the polling booth after a video of the purported act went viral, officials said. He was arrested following a complaint by the Election Commission and subsequently released on bail. In Delhi, Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa said the polling agent was arrested on Sunday.