Itanagar: Independent candidate for Arunachal West parliamentary constituency, Techi Rana, has alleged that polling agents from the BJP and INC shared votes equally during the electoral process at the 24-Kheel polling station under the Sagalee Assembly Constituency.
The voting took place on April 19.
In a representation submitted to the state chief electoral officer (CEO), Rana claimed that an audio clip circulating on various social media platforms confirmed the authenticity of his allegations, thereby pointing to electoral misconduct.
He appealed to the CEO to take prompt action against the responsible polling officers, including the presiding officer, for their negligence and to conduct a fresh repoll.
Addressing the media at the Press Club here on Thursday, Nillo Banna, a representative of the candidate, said that the entire misconduct during the electoral process was revealed through the conversation between the polling officer (PO) and the polling agent of INC. The audio reveals that the PO along with the polling agents of BJP and INC was not only involved in vote sharing but also proxy voting and bribery.
He said the telephone conversation was made between the PO and the second INC polling agent (Tana Tatu). Wherein, it was clearly stated that the BJP and INC agreed to share votes equally. Also, the first INC agent voted for the voters who were already dead.
The entire conversation was in Nyishi dialect.
“Moreover, the audio clip also confirms the involvement of the Returning Officer (RO), where she agreed upon the idea of vote sharing and bogus voting between the BJP and INC, in good faith,” Banna said, adding that information was disclosed in the conversation by the first PO.
Further, he said that the INC polling agent was also offered an amount of Rs. 30,000 by the BJP, to cast a vote against the absentees for BJP- MP. However, the agent straightly refused to accept the proposal.
“We came to know that the entire deal of vote sharing, and bogus voting was made between the BJP agents and the first INC polling agent. And, sadly, it was supported by the election officials,” Banna said.
Rana’s representative further stated that casting proxy votes is a violation of RPA, 1951, and the election conduct rule, 1961.
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“Likewise, involvement of money in elections is illegal and also officers offering favour is a violation of central civil services (conduct) rules,1964,” he said.
Rana has further appealed to the EC to reconduct the polls and initiate action against the officials involved in misconduct of the voting process at the 24-Kheel polling station under Papum Pare district.
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