Lok Sabha Election: Election Commission has ordered a fresh polling in one booth located in Asaoti village in Prithla assembly constituency of Faridabad Lok Sabha seat after its inquiry confirmed that the viral video of a BJP polling agent tampering with the election process was genuine. The polling agent Giriraj Singh has already been arrested on Sunday.

In a late evening development, the election commission has appointed IAS officer Ashok Kumar Garg as new returning officer of Faridabad Parliamentary constituency.

The video of the polling agent wearing blue jeans and T-shirt reaching out to the voting enclosure and pressing the button on the EVM himself had gone viral. He was recorded interfering with the voting of three women voters.

“A complaint of violation of secrecy of voting in PS no 88. Asaoti of 85. Prithla AC segment of 10. Faridabad PC was reported yesterday. On enquiry by the Observer, the complaint was found to be true. Commission has therefore ordered a fresh poll at this polling station on 19th of May 2019,” said the election commission.

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Union minister Krishnapal Singh Gurjar, Congress candidate Avatar Singh Bhadan and Aam Aadmi Party’s Naveen Jaihind are in the fray from Faridabad Lok Sabha election.

The police has already registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the polling agent Giriraj Singh under sections 171 C and 188 of IPC and section 135 of the Representation of the People Act of 1951.


The apex body to administer elections in the country has also placed presiding office Amit Atri under suspension for dereliction of duty.

In the video, it was clearly seen that polling staff present in the booth did not confront the polling agent when he was tampering with the election process.

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“Criminal action is also being initiated against the Presiding officer,” said the commission.

Prima facie it does not seem to be a case of interference by the polling agent alone without the involvement of other polling staff as the commission has also initiated action against its micro observer Sonal Gulati for not reporting the incident correctly to the commission.

The commission has barred her from any election related work for three years.

The election commission has also taken serious view against the returning officer for failing to take immediate action against the errant polling agent.

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