The EC orders a re-election at the Gujarat polling station, where the man live-streamed the voting

Four election officials, including a chairman, an assistant chairman, two polling officers and a police officer were suspended in connection with the incident, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Gujarat said in a press release. The ECI annulled the voting that took place at Parthampur polling station in Santrampur taluka of Mahisagar district after taking into account a Returning Officer and Observer report on irregularities, the CEO said.

As soon as the irregularities were reported, the CEO requested a report from the RO on the incident. The report was sent to the Election Commission, which, under Article 58, Subsection 2 of the People’s Representation Act, annulled the election held at the polling station on May 7.

A new voting round is planned at the polling station on May 11 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. “The chairman, assistant chairman, two polling agents and one police officer have been suspended in connection with the incident,” it added. Of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, elections were held in 25 constituencies on Tuesday in the third phase of the general elections. The BJP candidate in Surat has won unopposed.

The Congress had filed a complaint with the European Commission over ‘booth recording’ and ‘fake voting’ by submitting a copy of the viral video and demanded a fresh poll. The accused, Vijay Bhabhor, had remained inside the polling booth for five minutes, during which he went live on Instagram and also allegedly cast votes on behalf of two other voters, resorting to fake votes, officials said.

Prabha Taviad is the Congress candidate in the constituency. She is pitted against incumbent MP Jasvantsinh Bhabhor. The Congress claimed that the person who posted the ‘stand shot’ video on Instagram is the son of a local BJP leader. In the video, Vijay Bhabhor is seen allegedly pointing the camera at the EVM (electronic voting machine) and the VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) and asking a poll watcher for five to ten minutes even as he is asked to leave. Bhabhor was also quoted as saying that “only the BJP works here”. His accomplice was also seen in the video. ‘The machine belongs to my father.

Only one thing works: BJP,” Bhabhor says before pressing a button on the EVM, as seen in the video. “Only Vijay Bhabhor works here,” he reportedly says. He was later arrested on charges of fake votes.

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