Dummy voters at yesterday's civic polls
What happened:
MiD DAY caught on camera some Congress workers preparing fake Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) and using these to cast fake votes.
Dummy voters, brought in on Saturday, were made to masquerade as genuine voters. Their photos taken on Saturday night.
Yesterday, as genuine voters steamed into polling booths to cast votes, the Congress workers paid the genuine voters from Azad Nagar (ward 141) Rs 1,000 each to surrender their EPICs for a few hours and told not to cast their vote.
The Congress workers noted the genuine voters' details from their EPICs and entered these on fake cards kept ready. Photos of the fake voters were then pasted on them. These fake cards were designed as 'employment' identity cards.
The Election Commission (EC) has approved use of any photo identity, including office identity card, as valid ID proof to cast one's vote.
More than a vote:
The fake voters sauntered into the booths and cast their votes after flaunting the fake EPICs.
Outside, a few of their associates armed with a certain chemical to erase the indelible ink mark on their forefinger. Many fake voters re-entered the booths with a new fake EPIC to cast their vote again.
Officialspeak:
Bharatlal Meena, BBMP Commissioner, said, "If we come across such an irregularity, we will probe the case and refer it to the Election Commission."
The other side:
Congress candidate Gowramma's husband, C Govindaraju alias Jinke Govinda, said his party work had done no wrong. He said, "Those caught on camera are not my men."
'I don't know the full form of BBMP'
Name: Seema Khanum
Age: 30 years
Candidacy: Contesting on a Congress ticket from Jagajeenram Nagar (Ward no 136).
Qualification: A matriculate, Khanum is the wife of Altaf Khan, a local rowdy.
What is BBMP?
It is the corporation.
Do you know the full form of BBMP?
No. I don't.
All right, do you know where is the BBMP's head office?
I have seen it. It is somewhere in the city.
Do you at least know which election you are contesting?
Yes, that of a councillor.
Do you know what are the duties of a councilor?
Sorry, I don't. I'm not educated. But all I know is that a councillor should work for the people.
What do you intend to do for the people if you win the election?
My husband will look after it. I can't interact with people that well, as I can't speak any language other than Urdu.
Then how will you take part in the discussion at the BBMP council meetings?
I'll take my husband along.
Oh, I didn't know about it.
Link-
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/mar/290310-bogus-voting-civic-polls-EPIC-BBMP-polls.htm