As many as 20 poll officials were suspended by the Election Commission on Monday for their suspected role in electoral malpractices at two booths in the Munger Lok Sabha constituency, where election took place in the fourth phase on April 29. NDA candidate Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh (JD-U) is pitted against mahagathbandhan nominee Neelam Devi (Congress), wife of the don-turned-neta Anant Singh.
Anant Singh, had earlier, alleged that the NDA candidate, who is said to be close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was putting pressure on mukhias (village heads) in the constituency through local administrative officials, to manage booths in his favour. Both the candidates, hailing from the upper caste Bhumihar community, on the Seat are contesting neck to neck.
However, on the polling day when journalists of a national television news channel had gone to cover the polls in booth No.339 & 340 on April 29, they were brutally beaten up and thrashed allegedly by the supporters of the NDA candidate. They claimed that the local village head had captured the booths, falling under the Halsi police station of Lakhisarai, for bogus voting in favour of the NDA candidate.
Later, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Bihar had cancelled the polling in these booths and ordered re-polling, which was held on May 6. “A total of 20 polling personnel, including presiding officers, polling officers, magistrates and police personnel have been suspended for their involvement in electoral malpractices at these two polling booths”, said H.R. Srinivas, CEO, Bihar. Mr. Srinivas had also ordered an inquiry into the incident in which journalists were beaten up.
