Re-poll at two booths in ward 44 today

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 25

Amid allegations of ‘booth capturing’ and ‘bogus voting’, polling will be held again at two booths (No. 2 and 3) in Ward No. 44 from 8 am to 4 pm on Monday. According to the district administration, the decision of re-polling was taken by the Election Commission as there was difference in registered and polled votes.

The allegation of booth capturing were levelled by residents as well as opposition leaders at booth number 2 at Ram Lal Bhasin Public School and booth number 3 at Senior Citizen Bhawan in Phase 1, Dugri.

According to information, a woman Anny Kaur had gone to cast her vote at the booth in Senior Citizen Bhawan, but could not. She, along with her husband Sherry Singh, went live on Facebook. Later, their video had also gone viral.

The woman claimed that she was excited to cast her vote, but faced a very bad experience. Levelling serious allegations of booth capturing, the ‘victim’ woman said: “Some goonda-type persons were present at the booth. They were repeatedly pressing the EVM buttons. After some time, they left. When my turn came, I was told that my vote is not here. They then offered me to vote in case I want to. Is this the right thing?”

“I witnessed goondagardi there. I need an answer as to why so many people were present there? I don’t understand where our right to elect the government is?” she shared her experience in the video that went viral.

Anny and her husband Sherry went live on Facebook once again on Sunday, thanking the government to announce re-poll.

Talking to The Tribune, her husband Sherry Singh said: “My wife had gone to cast her vote at Senior Citizen Bhawan yesterday, but the vote was already cast by somebody else. I had never seen such kind of goondagardi to kill the right of a voter in a democracy. We are happy that re-polling will be held and we are thankful to the government for listening to our voice. I want to make it clear that we are not affiliated to any political party. Moreover, we do not favour any party.”

Allegations were also levelled against unauthorised men entering booth number 2 of ward 44 in Ram Lal Bhasin Public School, Ludhiana. Shiromani Akali Candidate (SAD) candidate from ward 44, Meetpal Dugri, had accused Congress MLA Kuldip Singh Vaid, his son Harkarandeep Singh Vaid, who is a Congress candidate from ward 44, and their supporters of indulging in bogus voting and booth capturing in ward 44. Independent candidate Harpal Singh Kohli and Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) leader Prem Mittal also blamed the Congressmen for indulging in bogus voting. Vaid was also seen entering other booths and asking the polling staff to take care of his men at booths in the Irrigation Department, the opposition leaders had blamed. They also blamed the police officials of supporting the Congressmen.

When contacted, MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid denied all allegations. He said: “None of the Congressmen indulged in bogus voting or booth capturing. No polling staff and agents have complained in this regard. All allegations are baseless to defame us.”

District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal, however, claimed that there was no proof of bogus voting or booth capturing as the presiding official did not mention about it.