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Controversy erupted after a video emerged online showing a minor boy seemingly casting a vote during the Lok Sabha election in Berasia in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal. The boy is the son of Vinay Mehar, a Bharatiya Janata Party panchayat leader, who allegedly took the video inside the polling booth on Tuesday and had his son cast the vote on his behalf on the EVM.
The 14-second video, reportedly shared on the BJP leader's Facebook page, was flagged by the media advisor of Congress leader Kamal Nath. The video shows the boy and the father in the booth pressing a button on the EVM linked to the lotus, the BJP's symbol. The camera then pans to show the vote being registered by the VVPAT, or Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail machine, after which Mr Mehar is heard saying, 'Ok. That is enough now.'
Questions have been raised about how a mobile phone was allowed into the polling booth, and how the child was permitted to accompany his father into the booth. The Election Commission has not yet responded to the video, but district officials have acknowledged it and ordered an investigation. Presiding Officer Sandeep Saini has been suspended and a FIR has been filed against the BJP leader.
The Berasia Assembly segment, where the incident took place, is reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, and is one of eight that makes up the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. The Berasia segment is held by the BJP's Vishnu Khatre, while the Lok Sabha seat is held by the party's Pragya Thakur, who defeated the Congress' Digvijaya Singh in the last election. She will not, though, defend her seat as the BJP has fielded Alok Sharma against the Congress' Arun Shrivastava.
Source: Controversy After Video Seems To Show BJP Leader's Minor Son Casting Vote