New Delhi: The Election Commission’s (EC) special observer on Friday said there was no “deliberate or mala fide intention” to disrupt the poll process, saying the incident in Assam when a polling party was found carrying EVMs in a vehicle that belonged to the wife of a BJP candidate from a neighbouring seat was an ‘isolated one’.
The incident had caused an uproar on Friday, resulting in the poll body suspending five officers and ordering a repoll in one booth in Assam’s Ratabari assembly constituency.
According to news agency PTI, the observer said the incident appears to be an isolated one “due to the total negligence and foolishness of the presiding officer and his team”.
The special observer also recommended that action be taken against the armed escort officer for leaving behind the stranded polling party and not ensuring its safe arrival at the destination. On Friday night, the EC did indeed proceed to take action against the officer.
The special observer said there does not seem to be any ground to change the returning officer as it appears to be an isolated incident “due to the total negligence and foolishness of the presiding officer and his team”.
“There is otherwise no deliberate or mala fide intention in the incident aimed to disrupt the polling process,” the special observer said.
To ensure credibility and fairness, it is appropriate to order a repoll in polling station number 149 (Indira MV School) of LAC 1 Ratabari, the observer added.
“Consequent to commission’s decision, presiding officer Sahab Uddin Talukdar, first polling officer Sourav Acharjee, second polling officer Abdul Mumit Choudhary, third polling officer Sahab Uddin Tapadar have already been placed under suspension since forenoon today,” the poll panel said.
On the receipt of the special general observer’s report, armed escort officer Luhit Gohain was also suspended, it added.
“Although the seals of the EVM were found intact, it has nevertheless been decided to do a re-poll at No. 149 – Indira M V School of LAC 1 Ratabari (SC) as an added precaution,” the poll panel said in the afternoon.
A screengrab from the video of the incident. Photo: Twitter@atanubhuyan
Thursday’s events
According to details made public by the EC, the polling party of polling booth number 149 of the Ratabari constituency, accompanied by a police constable and a home guard, were leaving to a strong room after the completion of polling at 6 pm on Thursday in a vehicle provided by the election authorities.
The EC said that the vehicle developed a snag because it was “raining heavily”.
“Due to traffic congestion and the prevailing weather condition, the party became detached from its convoy,” the EC statement said.
The polling party asked the sector officer to arrange for another vehicle, but decided to stop a passing vehicle and boarded it along with the EVM, comprising a ballot unit (BU), a control unit (CU) and a paper trail machine (VVPAT), and other things, “without checking the ownership of the vehicle”.
The vehicle moved towards Karimganj and had to slow down due to traffic, where some people noticed that the polling party was in the vehicle that belonged to Krishnendu Paul, the BJP candidate from a neighbouring constituency.
Police reached the spot along with the district election officer and used force to pull out the polling party.