Assam:90 voters,181 votes in polling booth,officials suspended

Six polling officials have been suspended in Assam after the Election Commission found that 181 votes had been cast at a booth in Dima Hasao district that had only 90 registered voters. The booth is in the Haflong constituency that voted in the second phase on April 1. Officially the constituency - won by the BJP's Bir Bhadra Hagjer in 2016 - recorded only 74 per cent polling. "The Presiding and 1st Polling officer, in their statements, have admitted that they allowed the voters registered against the main polling station to cast their votes in the auxiliary polling station," a press release from the Election Commission said.

According to information 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) have been suspended, with immediate effect. The poll body cited "dereliction of duty" in its suspension order. “During scrutiny of the presiding officer’s diary and other documents, it was found out that the presiding officer and polling officers of Khothlir LP School have allowed 181 persons to cast their votes against the total 90 voters in that polling station,” said a statement issued on Monday by Assam’s chief electoral officer Nitin Khade.