In another twisted incident during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday, a voter in polling station 3/21 under Khurai Assembly constituency was reportedly asked to cast his vote in replacement of other absent voters.
The unexpected incident unfolded around 2.10 pm at the polling station opened in S Ibobi Primary School when Senjam Surajkumar (44), a resident of Khurai Thongam Leikai, Imphal East entered the station to cast his vote.
According to Surajkumar, the officials inside the polling station informed that his vote had been cast already.
“How is it possible for an impersonator to enter the booth and cast a vote in my name? I confronted the presiding officer and all the officials about the situation but they couldn’t provide a valid answer,” he said.
He stated that the presiding officer offered to let him cast a tender vote to which he declined and demanded a re-poll instead.
“They even offered to let me cast my vote in replacement for other absent voters which is a preposterous proposal,” he said.
He questioned how the elections were being conducted when there were gross reports of election guidelines and norms.
He alleged that the officials inside the polling station were in cahoots with higher ups to bend the electoral favour.
“They’ve robbed and violated my democratic right which is equal to direct infringement of the Indian constitution,” he said.
As such, he appealed to all concerned to conduct re-poll at the said polling station and bestow the rights guaranteed under the constitution.
Every Indian citizen is guaranteed equal rights under the constitution but why was mine infracted, he asked.
Surajkumar’s disappointment is not an isolated incident but shared by hundreds and thousands whose constitutional rights were violated during the election on Friday.
Not only regular voters but polling agents and political party workers were also reportedly targeted in the valley constituencies.
