 "No case against Rahul: CEC")
The Election Commission on Saturday gave a clean chit to Rahul Gandhi on the allegation that he had violated secrecy of voting by entering the enclosure of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in one of the polling booths in Amethi on May 7.
"No case is made out," Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told PTI when asked about complaints that Gandhi had violated secrecy of voting by entering a voting compartment on the day of polling in his constituency.
He said the Commission had received reports from the District Magistrate, also the Returning Officer of the constituency, and from others that at the time when Gandhi entered the enclosure, the EVM was not working due to some faults.
Sampath said they also checked with the photographer of a daily, who had clicked the picture, and polling agents of other candidates as well as micro observers and found that "no polling was going on at that time".
"Gandhi had gone to see the machine which was not working. When he went there, there was no polling going on. No case is made out," he said.
Asked about complaints that Gandhi had entered more than one EVM enclosure, the CEC said as a candidate he had gone to other polling booths. The complaint was about only one EVM compartment, he said.
There was huge controversy when on May 8 newspapers carried pictures of Gandhi examining an EVM and coming out of the polling booth sparking demands that EC should take action against him.
"No case is made out," Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told PTI when asked about complaints that Gandhi had violated secrecy of voting by entering a voting compartment on the day of polling in his constituency.
He said the Commission had received reports from the District Magistrate, also the Returning Officer of the constituency, and from others that at the time when Gandhi entered the enclosure, the EVM was not working due to some faults.
Sampath said they also checked with the photographer of a daily, who had clicked the picture, and polling agents of other candidates as well as micro observers and found that "no polling was going on at that time".
"Gandhi had gone to see the machine which was not working. When he went there, there was no polling going on. No case is made out," he said.
Asked about complaints that Gandhi had entered more than one EVM enclosure, the CEC said as a candidate he had gone to other polling booths. The complaint was about only one EVM compartment, he said.
There was huge controversy when on May 8 newspapers carried pictures of Gandhi examining an EVM and coming out of the polling booth sparking demands that EC should take action against him.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%