A Haryana polling agent was arrested on Sunday afternoon for trying to influence voters during the sixth phase of the general election, the Faridabad district election office said. A video filmed inside a polling booth in Asawati (Prithla) showed the man repeatedly walking over to the screen installed to give voters privacy, and reaching towards the EVM behind it. Thousands shared the video. "This is really shocking. But who will take note of this?" asked author Rahul Pandita. Soon enough, the office of Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer did: it shot off a tweet to Faridabad's district election office and got a quick reply. @OfficeFaridabad take necessary action in this matter Ceoharyana (@ceoharyana) May 12, 2019 The district office reported the polling agent's arrest and said he had tried to influence at least three woman voters. The person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 lady voters. Observer & ARO with teams visited the booth at Asawati in prithala constituency. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICE FARIDABAD (@OfficeFaridabad) May 12, 2019 "The system acted well in time and the wrongdoer is behind bars," the district office said. All ten parliamentary constituencies in Haryana voted on May 12, the penultimate polling day in the staggered general election schedule. Voting will be held in the seventh and final phase on May 19 before votes are counted on May 23. Check out IndiaToday.in's comprehensive guide to the Lok Sabha election schedule. Scroll down to track your MP's performance.<doc-sep>A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) polling agent was arrested for allegedly trying to influence voters at a polling booth in Haryana's Palwal after a video of the purported act went viral, prompting the Election Commission to order re-polling. In a statement on Monday, the poll panel said, "On enquiry by the Observer, the complaint was found to be true. Commission has therefore ordered a fresh poll at this polling station on May 19." The incident took place at Asawati village in the Faridabad parliamentary constituency where polling was held on May 12. The Election Commission also placed the presiding officer concerned under suspension for dereliction of duty and initiated criminal action against him. The re-polling was ordered for violation of secrecy of voting. "An FIR was lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 171 C (undue influence at elections) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) and section 135 of RP Act 1951 against the polling agent, Giriraj Singh," it said. "The presiding office Amit Atri has been placed under suspension for the dereliction of duty and criminal action is also being initiated against the presiding officer. Micro observer Sonal Gulati has not reported the incident correctly for which the commission has barred her from any election related work for three years," it said. Taking a serious note of failure to take immediate action on the incident, the poll body said the Returning Officer 10 of Faridabad constituency has been transferred out from present posting. IAS officer Ashok Kumar Garg has been posted by the EC as new RO of the Faridabad constituency. "He has been directed to join at Faridabad by forenoon tomorrow (Tuesday)," the EC said in another statement Monday night. The polling agent was arrested following a complaint by the EC and subsequently released on bail. In the video clip, the polling agent could be seen going near the enclosure meant for casting votes and trying to influence voters. Krishan Pal Gurjar of the BJP is seeking re-election from Faridabad.<doc-sep>Shobha, a resident of Asaoti village, said she rebuffed the accused's attempts to make her vote BJP. Highlights Polling agent caught on video trying to influence voters The man was arrested and released on charges; has denied all charges Re-polling has been ordered at the booth on May 19 A BJP agent accused of trying to push three women into voting for the "lotus symbol" at a polling booth in Faridabad's Asaoti village was released on bail hours after his arrest on Sunday evening. The man, Giriraj Singh, has denied all charges - claiming that he was only trying to help "illiterate" women from the village cast their votes. The Election Commission later found the complaint to be true, and ordered re-polling at the booth on May 19. It also initiated action against several officials in connection with the incident, and ordered the filing of a first information report against Giriraj Singh. "The presiding office, Shri Amit Atri, has been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. Criminal action is also being initiated against him," it said in a press release. Besides this, the election body barred micro-observer Sonal Gulati from election duty for three years on charges of reporting the incident incorrectly, and transferred the returning officer concerned with immediate effect. When NDTV zeroed in on one of the women involved in the incident, she confirmed that Giriraj Singh had instructed her to punch the button next to the BJP's electoral symbol. "He told me to vote for the lotus. But I told him that it was my choice, and I will vote for any party I want. I left soon afterwards," said Shobha, a resident of the village. The woman said she did not complain to anybody at the polling booth because she had to hurry home to her ailing daughter. The matter came to light on Sunday, when a video of the incident that occurred at polling booth number 88 in Asaoti village cropped up on Twitter. It shows Giriraj Singh, in a blue t-shirt, approaching the voting compartment even as a woman was prepares to cast her vote. He appears to gesture at the voting machine before returning to his seat. Giriraj Singh later repeats the act with two other women, undeterred by the presence of election officials in the booth. Giriraj Singh said he was only trying to help the women cast their votes. However, Giriraj Singh said he wasn't even aware that going near the voting machine was a poll violation. "I was only trying to help," he told NDTV. "There are two voting machines and 28 candidates in the (Faridabad Lok Sabha) constituency, and the women of this village are illiterate. Even educated people get confused when it comes to using these machines. I was only showing them how to do it." The Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency voted in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday. IAS officer Ashok Kumar Garg has been posted as the new returning officer of the constituency, and instructed to join by forenoon today.<doc-sep>
A polling agent in Haryana’s Faridabad was arrested after a video of him allegedly trying to influence voters went viral on social media. Faridabad voted in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 12. Election commissioner Ashok Lavasa confirmed that the polling agent was arrested on Sunday afternoon and a report on the issue will be examined by the Election Commission. In the video, the polling agent, wearing a blue T-shirt, can be seen walking up to the polling booth as a woman prepares to cast her vote. He appears to press a button on the EVM or pointing to a party symbol and then promptly returns to his seat. The man repeats the act with two other women voters. Several people tagged the Election Commission seeking action after the video went viral. “DEO Faridabad reported that the observer, Sanjay Kumar investigated the entire matter. The person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR is lodged,” Lavasa tweeted. The person in the video is the Polling agent who has been arrested in the afternoon itself. FIR lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 lady voters. Observer & ARO with teams visited the booth at Asawati in prithala constituency. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated — DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICE FARIDABAD (@OfficeFaridabad) May 12, 2019 Ashok Lavasa said after receiving the full report action will be taken against those found wanting in their duty. He added that the scrutiny of this polling station will be comprehensive. The district election office in Faridabad said voting was not compromised. “Prompt action taken. FIR lodged. Person behind bars. Observer enquired the matter personally and is satisfied that polling was never vitiated,” DEO Faridabad tweeted. Faridabad, Haryana How impotent are the systems CEC, Please answer pic.twitter.com/0Lc8d516Xu — Paul Koshy (@Paul_Koshy) May 12, 2019 The voter turnout was 64.48% in Faridabad. Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar is contesting against Congress’s Avtar Singh Bhadana and INLD’s Mahender Chauhan in this seat. All 10 seats in Haryana went to polls on May 12. Results will be declared on May 23.