Panchayat polls in Odisha: SEC warns fake voters against bid to cast vote

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) office cautioned fake voters against attempting to cast votes during the three-tier panchayat elections in the State, which are scheduled to start from February 16.

Secretary to the SEC, Rabindra Nath Sahu said a person can cast vote during the panchayat elections only when the concerned person’s name is mentioned in the voters’ list. However, a polling agent can challenge the voting rights of a voter in case of finding the concerned person’s identity suspicious.

By depositing a fee of Rs 2 before a presiding officer, the polling agent can request the official for an inquiry. The presiding officer will conduct a summary inquiry. If the official found the voter in question as genuine, Rs 2 fee will be forfeited and the voter will be allowed to vote.

In case the allegation by the polling agent is found to be true, Rs 2 fee will be returned to the polling agent and the fake voter will be handed over to police, Sahu added.

It is worth to mention the three-tier panchayat polls in the State will be held on February 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 between 7 AM to 1 PM.