The Shimla district administration on Tuesday suspended four polling officials for alleged negligence during the panchayati raj institution elections after a serious procedural lapse was reported at a polling station in Rampur subdivision.
Officials Suspended
The suspended officials include the presiding officer and three polling officers. The action was taken by district election officer and deputy commissioner Anupam Kashyap against the entire polling party deployed at Brandli-1 polling station in gram panchayat Narain.
Procedural Lapse
During polling, the NOTA rubber stamp was mistakenly left inside the voting compartment along with the authorised arrow-cross seal. The issue surfaced after a voter reportedly stamped NOTA instead of a candidate symbol. By then, 124 votes were already cast, forcing authorities to halt polling.
The district administration has initiated a detailed inquiry into the incident and will take further action based on the findings. The suspended officials have been asked to submit their explanations.
