CHENNAI: Praveen Kumar, a photographer, wrapped up his shoot early just to cast his vote at a polling station in Porur. Upon arriving at the polling booth, he was informed that someone had already cast a vote in his name.
Photographer's Ordeal at Polling Station
Speaking to TOI, Praveen said, 'I was infuriated because how is it possible that 8-10 people in the room attested my allotted slip number and still gave the go-ahead to the person to cast their vote under my name. This person even verified the vote using the EPIC number.'
When he insisted on checking the CCTV footage, polling officials asked Praveen to vote under the same slip and promised that they would 'cancel the false vote'. 'I had no other go, but to do this,' he added.
Social Media Uproar
Frustrated with his situation, Praveen took to Instagram and posted a reel explaining his ordeal. Several netizens voiced similar concerns in the comments from areas such as Pallavaram, Poonamallee, and Medavakkam. Netizens tagged the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), demanding an investigation into the issue.
Similar Incident Involving BJP Leader
Similar claims were also made by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tamilisai Soundarajan at St Francis Xavier Middle School in Alwarpet, where BJP and DMK workers clashed over allegations of fake votes being cast on Wednesday.
This incident highlights the challenges voters face in ensuring their votes are not misused. The Election Commission has been urged to take strict action to prevent such fraudulent activities in future elections.
