There have been seven instances of bogus votes being cast in Kerala. (Representational)
Four more cases of bogus voting have been reported in Kerala, taking the total count till now to seven Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer TR Meena has said. While Left Democratic Front (LDF) supporters were allegedly involved in the earlier cases, this time a Congress booth worker is involved.
The Congress worker allegedly persuaded a man to cast the bogus vote. "A man named Abdul Samad cast his vote twice, while another person named Mohammad KM voted thrice in the same booth. He cast one vote on behalf of a man who is in the Gulf. He told the collector that he had cast a companion vote but later confessed that he been persuaded to do so by a Congress worker," Mr Meena told NDTV.
"Another man named Mohammad Fayis cast two different votes in different booths. In one case, a man walked in and out of the polling booth thrice but is seen casting his vote only once There is a doubt an I have ordered probe for clarity," he added.
Visuals of people casting bogus votes, released by various media, have been verified by the respective Returning Officers. Web recordings and the statements of the accused have also been taken.
Mr Meena added, "The Election Commission is taking this very seriously. Bogus voting is a crime. Everyone must welcome the unbiased investigations and strong action that the Election Commission is taking. Irrespective of the political party involved, we will take strong action against all accused."
The police have registered case against all the accused. A probe has also been ordered against polling officials involved in the bogus voting. It is scheduled to be completed in seven days, based on which the Chief Electoral Officer said action will be taken against guilty officials.
Election in Kerala were held in a single phase on April 23. The results will be announced on May 23.