NEW DELHI: In what could snowball into a major controversy, the Election Commission has found more than three lakh forged voters in the Varanasi parliamentary constituency so far even as the verification process still continues. Officials say the number of fake voters may touch 6.5 lakhs.
AAP had complained during Lok Sabha elections campaign that attempts were being made to forge voter lists and false voting might take place in massive scale in Varanasi where BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was pitched against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in a fierce battle. However, Modi defeated Kejriwal by a huge margin of more than 3.7 lakhs.
The Election Commission had asked Varanasi district administration to conduct a door-to-door verification of the voter list following complains registered by AAP about fake votes in massive scale, as published in a section of media. After verifying at booth levels, polling officials have found tens of thousands of names registered at two or more than two assembly segments under the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat for the first time in such a scale.
Following the disclosure, supporters of AAP and BJP have taken the battle to social media accusing each other of fake votes. While AAP leaders claim their allegations have been found true, BJP accuses AAP of making false allegations.
“People of Varanasi are with Modi. It is habit of AAP leaders to make false allegations,” says a BJP leader.
Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, who had a brawl with a Modi supporter in Madison Square of New York before Modi’s speech to NRIs, tweeted: “Not just fake voters in Varanasi but fake accounts in Twitter too,” adding “saffron terror is indeed serious”.
Not just Fake Voters in Varanasi but fake accounts in Twitter too. https://t.co/1LQG3ouEVk Saffron terror is indeed serious. #MufflerMan
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@surdesairajdeep) November 26, 2014
Another AAP sympathiser Sud @Sud_AAP tweets: “look at these spam accounts made by BJP to defame AAP and hijack #MufflerMan trend…”
look at these spam accounts made by BJP to defame AAP and hijack #MufflerMan trend… pic.twitter.com/KWSVZgd4C0
— Sud (@Sud_AAP) November 26, 2014
Clarification:
It has come to light that the information published on a section of media including mainstream newspapers that over three lakhs fake voters were registered in Varanasi was incorrect. The district administration has clarified that the number of fake voters was 23,664.
The report published on PollUpdates was based on media reports which was also clearly mentioned in the article. PollUpdates believes in providing honest and accurate information without any bias. We regret the incorrect information provided in the article even though it had quoted media reports. Our sole intention was to highlight failure of the machinery in conducting a free and fair election, and was not intended to favour any political party.
Editor,
PollUpdates.com
editor@pollupdates.com
