Viral Video Sparks Questions Over Alleged Panchayat Voter Casting Vote in Silchar Municipal Poll

A viral video has raised questions over the voter verification process during the first Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) election after a man allegedly from a panchayat area was seen casting his vote at a polling station in Ward 3 of Silchar.

According to allegations circulating on social media, the man has been identified as Shahid Laskar, also known as ‘Moyna’, and is reportedly a resident of Dayapur in Udharbond. The video surfaced on social media during Saturday’s polling and allegedly shows him casting his vote at a polling station in Ward 3.

The video appears to show the man recording his own voting process on a mobile phone. Notably, he is seen casting his vote in two separate shots filmed from different angles, with both recordings apparently made by him.

In the first shot, the man is seen marking his vote for the BJP on the ballot paper. He then moves the mobile phone towards himself and records his face. A similar sequence appears to take place in the second shot, where he is again seen casting his vote and subsequently turning the camera towards his face.

The video has raised further questions because recording the act of marking a ballot could potentially compromise the secrecy of voting. The circumstances under which the recording was made and whether it took place inside a polling station will need to be established through an official inquiry.

The video also led to questions about the man’s eligibility to vote in the SMC election. It is being alleged that he is a resident of a panchayat area rather than the Silchar Municipal Corporation area. If that claim is correct, questions arise over how he could have appeared on the electoral roll for Ward 3 and been allowed to cast his vote.

It is further being claimed that the individual uploaded the video on his own Facebook account before later deleting it after the video began circulating and attracted public attention.

The role of the polling personnel may also come under scrutiny if it is established that an ineligible person was allowed to vote. Voters are required to be identified and verified against the electoral roll before being permitted to cast their ballots.

At present, there is no official confirmation establishing that the person shown in the video was not an eligible voter of Ward 3 or confirming any lapse by polling personnel. The allegations therefore remain subject to verification.

The controversy has emerged during the maiden Silchar Municipal Corporation election and has raised questions about voter verification, ballot secrecy and the overall integrity of the polling process. An official clarification and verification of the electoral records and the video would be necessary before any definitive conclusion can be drawn.