Booth rigging in Amethi: District Magistrate orders probe against polling officer

Smriti Irani, Rahul Gandhi

The District Magistrate of Amethi has ordered a probe after the allegations of booth rigging in the constituency earlier today. As the parliamentary constituency went on to vote in the 5th phase of Lok Sabha elections, there were numerous reports of booth rigging and proxy voting.

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Earlier today, allegations of booth capturing and proxy voting were levelled on the Congress party. A video had also gone viral on social media where an elderly woman had claimed that she wanted to vote for the ‘Lotus’ but some person allegedly took her hand and pressed on the ‘Panja’ (palm, the Congress symbol).

The allegations of rigging had come from booth number 316 in Gauriganj area. Reports say that a probe has been ordered against the polling officer concerned.

Union Minister Smriti Irani had reacted strongly to the allegations and had approached the authorities over the issues. She had stated that Congres has a habit of stealing and now their president is attempting to steal votes too.

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Amethi is one of the most high-profile seats and has been under constant highlight in the run-up to the 2019 general elections. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, whose family has had a claim on Amethi for generations, had decided to fight elections fro Wayanad too this time, sparking discussions that he fears loss from BJP’s Smriti Irani.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia