Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Balurghat
Allegations of a serious voting irregularity triggered concern on Tuesday in Balurghat, after a government employee claimed that his postal ballot vote had already been cast before he arrived at the polling center.The incident unfolded at Balurghat Girls’ High School, where the allegation quickly spread, raising questions about the integrity of the postal voting process.The complainant, Bimal Soren, a resident of Gopalbati Gram Panchayat in Balurghat Block and an employee of the RLI department, submitted a written complaint to the district magistrate earlier in the day.
According to Soren, he had attended election-related training at the polling site on April 16 and attempted to cast his vote through postal ballot the same day. However, due to heavy crowding, officials reportedly advised him to return the following day, assuring him that he would still be able to vote.When Soren later returned to cast his ballot, he was informed that his vote had already been recorded.“I was shocked,” he said, questioning how someone else could have cast a vote in his name. No clear explanation was immediately provided by officials.In an attempt to address the situation, the administration allegedly offered him the option of casting an auxiliary vote. Soren declined the proposal.
The incident has drawn concern among other government employees, some of whom suspect either a technical glitch or a serious lapse in procedure.Officials have since initiated an investigation into the matter to determine how the discrepancy occurred. However, authorities declined to comment publicly .The episode has intensified concerns over electoral safeguards, particularly in the handling of postal ballots, as the region prepares for polling.
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