Assam Election: Presiding Officer in Karimganj Suspended for Negligence During LS Polls

GUWAHATI: The Presiding Officer at Nayadhar LP School has been suspended by the District Election Officer of Karimganj due to a voting scandal.

A video surfaced online showing a polling agent casting five votes on an EVM machine, something the person in charge should have stopped.

The person in charge didn't enforce the rule against mobile phones in the polling station, which allowed the voting process to be filmed.

This is seen as a serious failure of duty. This incident has raised concerns about keeping the voting process secret and fair.

Mridul Yadav, who serves as the Returning Officer and District Election Officer of Karimganj, announced the suspension through an official order.

The order read, “As per Hand Book for Presiding Officer, 2023 of Section 4.1-Sub Section(x), No cellphone, smart watch, cordless phone etc. is allowed inside the polling station. Also mention in Checklist of Presiding Officer, (precaution during poll) at Point No.8 that it is the duty of the Presiding Officer to ensure that no voter brings mobile phone inside the booth.”

“It is found that a video has been taken by the polling agent by mobile which is gross negligence and dereliction of duty on the part of Nazrul Haque Tapadar, Librarian as Presiding Officer who failed to stop/check carrying of mobile phone inside the polling station" the order then clarifies that due to this, Nazrul Haque Tapadar, Librarian has been placed under suspension from service with immediate effect under Rule 6(1)(A) of the Assam Service (discipline and appeal) Rules, 1964,” the order stated.

While suspended, Nazrul Haque Tapadar, the Librarian, will be based at the same location where he was posted, which is Karlingang.

Meanwhile, voting through postal ballots has begun in Kamrup Metropolitan district as part of the preparations for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections to be held on May 7.

Kamrup Metropolitan District Commissioner and District Election Officer Sumit Sattavan informed that the process to exercise the democratic right commenced on April 27 for specially-abled voters and elderly citizens above the age of 85 years.

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