LS Polls 2024: ECI Fact Checks, WhatsApp Audio of Bengaluru Ballot Error Goes Viral
The Election Commission of India provided clarity on complaints of purported vote errors in a voting station in Bengaluru’s Shantinagar seat in Karnataka on Saturday, as phase 2 of the Lok Sabha Election completed smoothly.
Such rumors that are making the rounds on social media are untrue and unfounded, according to the ECI, which has ruled out any ballot mistake. The electoral authority said, “It is false and unfounded to report that a poll worker in a Shantinagar, Bengaluru, voting booth failed to activate a ballot unit. This information has been circulated on social media and WhatsApp as an audio message. Following thorough investigation, DEO has explained the proper stance below.
The explanation was provided in response to an audio complaint that the control unit’s ballot button had not been pressed during Shantinagar’s voting process, which was received by the BBMP District Electoral Officer.
Nevertheless, the Sector Magistrate discovered that the total entries in register 17A and the Control Unit were precisely tallied when she arrived at the voting place right away to report the problem after receiving the complaint. This showed that there had been no instances of the BALLOT button not being activated at the mentioned voting place.
“The concerned Assistant Returning Officer has verified the same. Therefore, the narration in the aforementioned audio tape is untrue and unfounded,” the DEO said.
In a different instance, a police official claimed that a 26-year-old man went to a voting place in Rampuri, in the Nanded district of Maharashtra, on Friday, and reportedly destroyed an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) by striking it with an iron item.
After being taken into custody by the police, the guy said that he desired a government that supported laborers and farmers.
PHASE 2 OF THE LOK SABHAI ELECTION 2024 ENDED WITH A VOTER TURNOUT OF OVER 63%
In the second round of the Lok Sabha elections, which included 88 seats across 13 states, over 63% of polling was recorded. A few states reported experiencing EVM difficulties and fraudulent voting.
Due to a variety of reasons, voters in some villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, Rajasthan’s Banswara, and Maharashtra’s Parbhani boycotted the election; nevertheless, officials eventually convinced them to cast a ballot.
The second round of the seven-phase elections saw polls open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Extreme heat was observed in many states. On April 19, voting in the first round of elections took place in 102 seats spread across 21 states and Union territories.
