E-Paper
Lok Sabha Election 2019: EC to investigate its official for violating poll code in Pune
An official of the Election Commission in the Kasba assembly segment was allegedly found appealing to voters to vote for the BJP nominee Girish Bapat
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to investigate one of its own officials in a case of violation of the model code of conduct during Tuesday’s polling in Pune.
An official of the Election Commission in the Kasba assembly segment was allegedly found appealing to voters standing in the queue to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Girish Bapat.
Naval Kishore Ram, Pune district collector, said, “As soon as we came to know about the incident, I immediately spoke to the assistant returning officer and have asked him to conduct an inquiry. Post a detailed inquiry, the administration will decide if any action has to be taken.”
According to Ram, there were technical glitches in the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) and electronic voter machines (EVM). However, only one case of EVM malfunctioning was reported.
Ram said, “The administration conducted a test in front of the officials and the complainant was asked to vote again. It was found that his complaint was false.”
Speaking about the low voter turnout, Ram said, “Considering the efforts we took to create awareness, I had expected a high voter turnout. Pune and Baramati are two large parliamentary constituencies. It's not easy to conduct elections here. However, I feel content that the voting took place in a hassle-free manner.
