TIRUPATTUR: A Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) cadre has been arrested for recording himself casting his vote for the party's whistle symbol inside a polling booth in the Tirupattur constituency and subsequently sharing the video on social media platforms. The arrested individual has been identified as S Sakthivel, 35.
Incident Details
Sakthivel managed to enter the polling booth with his mobile phone, a device typically prohibited to maintain ballot secrecy. He recorded a video of himself voting for TVK and later edited it into a short clip, commonly referred to as a 'reel', before posting it on various social media outlets to publicly declare his political allegiance.
Detection by Monitoring Team
The Election Commission of India's (ECI) social media monitoring team identified the breach promptly. The team reviewed CCTV footage from the specific polling station and cross-referenced it with the social media clip. By matching the timing and location visible on the security cameras, the commission confirmed Sakthivel's identity.
Legal Action
Following a complaint from poll officials, the police booked Sakthivel under relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act for violating the secrecy of the ballot. District election officials emphasized that recording or photographing a marked ballot is a punishable offense that can lead to imprisonment.
Preventive Measures
The authorities have formed several monitoring teams to scan social media for similar violations. They have instructed officers to be more rigorous in ensuring that voters do not enter polling booths with electronic devices, aiming to prevent any further breaches of electoral integrity.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the legal consequences associated with violating ballot secrecy, a cornerstone of democratic elections. The ECI continues to enforce strict measures to uphold the sanctity of the voting process.
