EC clean chit to Rahul over entering Amethi polling booth

Claims Gandhi had visited the polling station when the electronic voting machine was not working and polling was not in progress

The Election Commission Saturday said there was no violation by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi when he entered a polling booth in Amethi constituency during balloting May 7.

The poll panel released an inquiry report on the incident following complaints that Gandhi had violated the law by entering a polling booth.

Election Commission principal secretary R.K. Srivastava said the report from the district election officer of Amethi said Gandhi had visited the polling station when the electronic voting machine was not working and polling was not in progress.

He said the commission wanted the matter to be verified further and another inquiry was held.

"The inquiry disclosed that Rahul Gandhi visited the polling station at 10.15 a.m. when the EVM was not working and no poll was taking place," Srivastava said in a communication to Sanchit Balchandani, who had sent an email to the commission on the issue.

The reply was also posted on the poll panel's website.

Srivastava said the EVM was replaced after Gandhi left, and polling commenced at 10.35 a.m.

"Under the above circumstances, no case of any violation is made out against Rahul Gandhi," he said.

Opposition parties had alleged poll code violation by the Congress leader.