EC finds Smriti Irani’s charge of booth capturing false

Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Lakku Venkateshwarlu, said the booth capture claims made in Amethi by Union Minister Smriti Irani are false.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow on Monday night, the CEO said the charges levied by an elderly woman were found to be “baseless” in a video clip that went viral on social media.

“Following the complaint, the sector officer, senior officials and even observers rushed to the booth and spoke to the polling agents of the political parties, other officials in the polling booth following which it was conclusively found that the charges in the video clip were fabricated. Due to prima facie allegations in the clip, the presiding officer was summarily removed while the probe was going on,” he said.

The video clip created a huge controversy with Smriti Irani claiming that the capture of booths was done at the behest of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who is looking for re-election in Amethi.

Smriti Irani, who is the BJP candidate in Amethi, had tagged the video in her tweet and alleged that polls were being rigged.