In a one-of-a-kind incident, as many as 171 votes were cast at a polling booth in Assam’s Dima Hasao district during the second phase of the Assembly polls on April 1, when only 90 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise at that booth.
The incident occurred after the village head refused to accept the Election Commission’s (EC) voters’ list and brought a list of his own, according to which people cast their ballots, officials said.
The first phase of the Assam Assembly elections was held on March 27 and the second phase of voting occurred on April 1. The last and final phase of polling will be held on Tuesday.
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The booth, where the irregularity was recorded, is located in Haflong constituency, which went to the polls during the second phase. 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.
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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.
It is not yet 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.
(With PTI inputs)
