Kasargod,09 April (H.S.):Polling in parts of Kasaragod district witnessed controversy and disruption on Thursday after election officials detected alleged violations at two separate booths, raising concerns over adherence to electoral norms during the ongoing Assembly elections.

In a major incident reported from Uduma constituency, a UDF chief election agent was taken into custody for allegedly entering a polling booth wearing glasses fitted with a hidden camera. The person detained has been identified as advocate B.M. Jamal, the chief agent of UDF candidate K. Neelakandan.

According to officials, Jamal arrived at the polling station set up at Bekal Islamic ALP School while wearing the suspicious device. Acting on specific inputs, a police team led by the Circle Inspector intervened and took him into custody at the booth. The glasses, suspected to contain a concealed recording mechanism, were seized by the police.

Authorities said the act constitutes a clear violation of election rules, which strictly prohibit any form of recording or electronic surveillance inside polling stations in order to protect voter secrecy and ensure the integrity of the electoral process. Further legal action is expected following detailed examination of the seized device.

In a separate development in the Manjeshwaram constituency, polling was temporarily halted at Booth No. 21 in Badaje Government LP School after a discrepancy was noticed in the voting figures. Booth agents raised objections when the number of votes recorded did not match the count displayed on the electronic voting machine (EVM).

While 202 voters were officially recorded to have cast their votes, the EVM reportedly showed a total of 204 votes. The mismatch triggered concern among polling agents, prompting officials to suspend voting for a short period to verify the anomaly.

Polling resumed after preliminary checks, and election authorities have assured that a detailed probe will be conducted into both incidents. Officials reiterated that strict action would be taken against any violation of election norms, reaffirming their commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections across the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman