Karimganj presiding officer suspended over agent’s video during mock session
The presiding officer was suspended because it was his responsibility to ensure that no voter brings mobile phone inside the booth
SILCHAR: A presiding officer of a polling station in Assam’s Karimganj district has been suspended for allowing a polling agent to carry mobile phones inside the booth and shoot videos during a mock polling session, according to an order by the Karimganj district administration on Monday.
The suspension was ordered after a widely-circulated video in which a person was seen repeatedly pressing the button for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ignited a controversy. Election officials later clarified that the video did not pertain to April 26 when Karimganj Lok Sabha constituency voted in the parliamentary election but during a mock voting session.
The presiding officer of the polling station concerned, Nazrul Haque Tapadar, has been suspended by the Karimganj district commissioner Mridul Yadav. He was employed as a librarian at Taltala senior madrassa high school in South Karimganj.
Yadav’s order said Abdul Sahid, polling agent of an independent candidate Abdul Hameed recorded the casting of votes during the mock session with a mobile phone and later shared it on social media.
“As per Hand Book for Presiding Officer, 2023 of Section 4.1-Sub Section(x), No cellphone, smart watch, cordless phone etc are allowed inside the polling station,” the order said.
Yadav added that it was the presiding officer’s duty to ensure that no voter brings a mobile phone into the booth. But they found that a video was taken by the polling agent by mobile which is gross negligence and dereliction of duty by Nazrul Haque Tapadar.
“The presiding officer failed to check and stop the polling agent from carrying mobile phone inside the polling station. Now, therefore, pending drawal of departmental proceeding Nazrul Haque Tapadar, is placed under suspension from service with immediate effect under Rule 6(1)(A) of the Assam Service (discipline and appeal) Rules, 1964,” he said.
Election officials said polling agents are allowed to use the electronic voting machines during the mock sessions in favour of any candidates. “Statements of other polling agents are underway and polling officials have been served show-cause notice in this regard,” the officer said.
