Thiruvananthapuram: The Central Election Commission has decided to hold repoll in four booths (three in Kasaragod and one in Kannur) where bogus voting was confirmed. The repoll will be held on May 19, from 7 am to 6 pm.
The booths in Kasaragod, all of them coming under Kallyassery constituency, where repoll will be held are: Booth number 19 Pilathara; booth number 69 Puthiyangadi Juma-ath HS North Block; booth number 70 Juma-ath HS South Block. In Kannur, repoll will be held in booth number 166 at Pamburuthi Mappila UPS.
Webcast visuals had shown three women - Padmini, N P Saleena and K P Sumayya - casting bogus votes in Pilathara's school booth number 19. In booth number 69 and 70, Muhammad Fais, Abdul Samad and K M Muhammad were caught casting bogus votes.
In Kannur's Pamburuthi booth, nine men were found casting bogus votes in the name of 12 people residing in the Gulf. Charges were slapped on those found guilty under section 171 c (which relates to undue influence in elections), 171 d (related to impersonation in elections) and 171 f (penalty clause for both undue influence and impersonation during elections) of the Indian Penal Code.
The EC had cancelled the elections held in these four booths on April 23. The decision was taken on the basis of the reports filed by the returning officers, micro observers and the chief electoral officer. The repoll has been ordered under section 58 of the Representation of People's Act, 1951.
The EC has directed returning officers to make the necessary arrangements and to inform the political parties of the steps they need to take. General observers, too, will be intimated of the repoll.
