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A man has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district after a video of him voting eight times for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went viral on social media.
The arrested individual, identified as Rajan Singh, is a resident of Khiriya Pamaran village in Etah.
Following the incident, the state's chief election officer has ordered the suspension of all members of the polling party from the station where the incident occurred.
The incident was reported in the Farrukhabad parliamentary constituency, and action was taken after the video went viral on Sunday.
Several opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, posted about the incident on social media.
In response to Yadav's post, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said an FIR of the incident was registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and Representation of the People Act, 1951, in Nayagaon police station in Etah district.
The CEO also said instructions to “suspend and institute disciplinary proceedings” against all members of the polling party have been issued.
A repoll has been recommended to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the concerned polling station.
Strict instructions to rigorously follow the procedure regarding identification of voters have been issued to all District Election Officers of the remaining phases in UP.
The man has been booked under Sections 171-F (Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election) and 419 (punishment for cheating by personation) of the IPC, and Sections 128, 132, and 136 of the RP Act 1951.
The FIR for the incident was filed by the Assistant Returning Officer of the Aliganj assembly constituency under the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha.
The seat went for polls on May 13 under the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha polls.