Ballot Unit found on Rajasthan road hours after voting ends

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Dec 08, 2018 : A ballot unit was found lying on the road in Rajasthan’s Kishanganj constituency, hours after voting ended for the high-stake elections in the state. The incident prompted Election Commission to suspend two poll officials on grounds of negligence, News18 reported.

 

Abdul Rasheeq and Patwari Naval Singh were suspended with immediate effect on Friday after the unit was near a highway found in constituency’s Shahabad area in Baran district, an EC order read.

Earlier on Friday, a sector officer was removed after he allegedly went to BJP candidate Madan Rathore’s residence in Pali with a reserve machine. The poll panel said that it had taken out the EVM of election system. The EC also ordered removal of Pali returning officer Mahaveer, who has been transferred, and Rakesh from Jodhpur has been asked to take the charge, the commission said.

This is not the first time that such an incident of negligence has come to light.

Even after Madhya Pradesh elections, an EVM strong room in Bhopal was left without electricity for nearly one and a half hours, disrupting live status of the machines. At the strong room in Sagar, it was reported that a group of polling officers arrived with 50 EVMs around 48 hours after the polling ended on November 28.

The exit polls have predicted a tight finish between the BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and a win for the opposition party in Rajasthan. While they differed in their projections for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, most of them predicted the Congress’ return to power in Rajasthan. The final results will be out on December 11.