Mock Polls or Booth Capture: Karimganj Video Exposes Electoral Farce

A video has gone viral on social media. It is not CCTV footage or a sting operation conducted by a journalist, but rather a live video shot by an individual inside the polling station with the EVM. The individual shared it on social media and it was then downloaded by another user who dared to further share it from his account. What happens in the video is even more alarming. The individual casts five votes in favour of the BJP Candidate contesting from Karimganj.

Predictably, reactions to the video have been sharply divided. Supporters of the BJP dismiss concerns over election integrity, insisting that the video depicts nothing more than a mock poll. Conversely, critics, particularly those sceptical of the ruling government, perceive it as a blatant instance of booth capture, where partisan forces hijack the voting process to skew results in their favour.

However, amidst the cacophony of social media speculation, certain facts have come to light. The District Election Commissioner of Karimganj, has issued a statement affirming that the video captures a mock poll exercise.

It is interesting to note that the official statement issued by the District Election Commissioner identifies the person casting votes in favour of the BJP as Abdul Sahid, polling agent for an Independent Candidate, Abdul Hameed. Polling agents are nominated by the candidate, and each candidate nominates his or her polling agent to ensure the polling is organised with all fairness. The polling agents then apply for an Entry Pass for their respective polling stations. The presiding officer then scrutinises the application and issues an Entry Pass for the designated Polling Station.

So, why is Abdul Hameed’s Polling Agent casting votes in favour of the BJP candidate? The mock polls are organised to earn the confidence of the polling agents that their candidate is getting the votes cast for them. There are some suggestions that the Presiding Officer asks the polling agents to press No 1 seven times; some say each polling agent is asked to cast five votes for his or her candidate and verify.

Deeper concern is that the person appears in the video with two identity cards, one hanging by his neck and another one pinned on his shirt. The one hanging by the neck is issued to the candidates. The one he is wearing reads, “Abdul Hammed, Candidate”, which means this card is meant for the candidate whose name is Abdul Hameed. The white tag nowhere reads Abdul Sahid.

These questions find some clue in the Yellow Tag pinned on his shirt. It reads, “Polling Station No 11, 240 NO. NAYADHAR L.P. School in Patharkandi”, which the district election commissioner has also confirmed. But the yellow Entry Pass reads it has been issued for Bahar Uddin who is the polling agent for Kripanath Mallah. So is the person on Camera Bahar Uddin, or is he Abdul Sahid, or is he the independent candidate, Abdul Hammed, or is he a criminal under Section 420 IPC, 465 IPC, 464 IPC?

In 2019, a Polling agent was arrested for filming an incident of alleged booth capture. In 2018, a voter was arrested for taking a selfie inside the polling station. The district election commissioner, in his statement related to the incident in Karimganj, does not mention any action against anybody for making the video or allowing the filmmaking to be done inside the booth.

Also, if this is a mock poll, why is someone calling out the number and name of the voter? This happens when an electorate or voter walks into the polling station and submits the slip or voter ID card to verify him or her. Once the verification is done, the polling officer or first polling calls out the number followed by the name of the voter for all polling agents to match and strike the name on their respective voters’ lists. In the video, when the individual is casting those votes and what the District Election Commissioner is claiming to be mock polls, there is a loud call for 797, Piyarun Nessa (1:00 in the video). Many officials including presiding officers, Barak Bulletin spoke with, confirmed that no voter is ever present when there is a mock poll happening before the official polls.

Now the biggest of all sets of questions: What are the presiding officer, polling officer, and security personnel doing when a polling agent is walking into the polling station with his phone and camera on? He is not alone; he is being accompanied by another male. The individual is not even filming the entire chain of events secretly; he is asking someone to film with his face in the frame, loudly enough for someone sitting 10 meter away to hear easily.

In light of these revelations, the District Election Commissioner’s dismissal of the incident as a mere mock poll appears disconcertingly inadequate. India, revered as the world’s largest democracy, holds its electoral processes sacrosanct. Yet, the emergence of this video underscores glaring vulnerabilities in the electoral framework.

Whether attributable to genuine error or wilful malpractice, the viral video serves as a stark reminder of the imperative to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes. Booth capture or mock polls or a conspiracy to defame the electoral process and a particular party, the essence remains unchanged: the need for robust mechanisms to preserve the sanctity of elections in India. As the custodians of democracy, the onus lies on electoral authorities to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability, ensuring that the electoral process remains beyond reproach.

By: Anirban