Repolling ordered in Etah booth after Rahul, Akhilesh share video of youth voting several times

Apparently in the two minute long video the boy can be seen voting for the BJP candidate Mukesh Rajput who is contesting from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. (Photo-Screengrab from the Video)

After  Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) shared a video of a youth allegedly voting for BJP candidate several times, the Etah administration lodged an FIR and detained him.  The Election Commission of India, Uttar Pradesh, also directed the concerned District Election Officer to take prompt and effective action.

Reportedly, in the two-minute video, the boy can be seen voting for the BJP candidate Mukesh Rajput, who is contesting from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, according to reports.

Moneycontrol, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral video.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said in a statement that an FIR has been registered in connection with the matter.

"Instructions to suspend and institute disciplinary proceedings against all members of the polling party have been issued. Repolling has been recommended to the Election Commission of India in the polling station concerned," Rinwa said.

Taking to X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared the video posted by SP leader Akhilesh Yadav and wrote (translated from Hindi)," Seeing its defeat in front of it, BJP wants to loot democracy by pressurising the government machinery to deny the mandate. Congress expects from all the officers performing election duty that they should not forget their constitutional responsibility under the pressure of power. Otherwise, as soon as the Indian government is formed, such action will be taken that anyone will think 10 times before insulting the 'Oath of the Constitution'.

Akhilesh Yadav posting the video on X wrote (translated from Hindi),"If the Election Commission feels that this is wrong then it must take some action, otherwise…BJP's booth committee is actually a loot committee."

अपनी हार सामने देख कर भाजपा जनादेश को झुठलाने के लिए सरकारी तंत्र पर दबाव बना कर लोकतंत्र को लूटना चाहती है। कांग्रेस चुनावी ड्यूटी कर रहे सभी अधिकारियों से यह अपेक्षा करती है कि वो सत्ता के दबाव के सामने अपनी संवैधानिक ज़िम्मेदारी न भूलें। वरना INDIA की सरकार बनते ही ऐसी… https://t.co/fk4wXL8QZy — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 19, 2024

In a post on X, the state Election Commission wrote," Cognizance of the circulating video has been taken. Concerned District Election Officer has been directed to take prompt and effective action."

Cognizance of the circulating video has been taken. Concerned District Election Officer has been directed to take prompt and effective action. https://t.co/v2lA8jRntE — CEO UP #IVote4Sure (@ceoup) May 19, 2024

Earlier, a BJP leader in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh was booked for allegedly taking his minor son to a polling booth in Berasia on May 7, making him press the EVM button and making a video of the process. Taking cognisance of the incident, Bhopal collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh suspended booth number 71 (Khitwas) polling officer Sandeep Saini and got an FIR registered against BJP zilla panchayat member Vijay Mehar, the official said.