It followed the break-down, at around 9pm yesterday, of the Election Commission-assigned vehicle of a polling team posted to polling station number 149 at Ratabari’s Indira MV School. It was on its way back to the strong room after voting, the presiding officer contacted the sector officer for a replacement vehicle and was assured of one.
At around 9.20pm, however, the staff took a lift in the private car without checking its ownership, the poll panel’s release said today. Krishnendu Paul’s electoral affidavit confirm that his wife, Madhumita Paul, owned the vehicle (registration number: AS10B0022).
As the car approached the locality where the strong room is situated by around 10pm, supporters of the opposition identified the vehicle and mobbed it, along with the driver; the police staff ran for safety. They pelted stones at the vehicle and abused the passengers.
The district administration had to resort to police action to disperse the crowd and secure the vehicle, the EVM, and the polling personnel, officials said. The Election Commission today ordered fresh voting in one polling station of Assam’s Ratabari seat following a controversy over officials transporting an electronic voting machine (EVM) in a BJP candidate’s car yesterday.
