Ahead of the first phase of the UP Assembly elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday urged the Election Commission (EC) to take action against a senior official, who allegedly changed the vote of a specially-abled person in Agra.
Akhilesh said that it was a ''very serious issue'' and that the EC must 'suspend' the official. ''The EC is expected to identify such officials and suspend them,'' the SP president said in a message on his Twitter handle.
Surendra Singh, an 80-year old specially-abled person, a resident of Fatehabad town in Agra, alleged that the officials forced him to vote for the BJP. The residents of the village, who reached the polling station on finding out about the allegation, created a ruckus and protested before the officials.
A senior official, who reached there later, was heard saying in a video shared by Akhilesh that one vote would not make any difference. ''Ek vote se kuch hota hai kya'' (does one vote make any difference?) the official was heard telling the residents.
The other residents of the area were also heard telling the officials that the elderly person had been forced to vote for a specific party. The video showed the residents arguing with the officials.
A senior official in Agra later refuted the allegation and said that the elderly person had not made any objection at the time of casting his vote. ''It was only later he started claiming that his vote had been changed and called other residents and created a ruckus,'' he claimed.
Polling for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections began in Agra on Sunday for specially-abled persons and senior citizens through postal ballot papers.
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Published 07 February 2022, 10:34 IST