Chandigarh, May 14: The Election Commission on Monday ordered repolling at a polling station in Faridabad Lok Sabha seat after a polling agent was arrested for influencing voters amid polling on May 12. The re-polling at the polling station in Prithla assembly segment of the constituency will be held on May 19, in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha polls. The EC ordered re-polling after video of the polling agent allegedly trying to influence went viral on social media on Monday. The EC in a statement on Monday said, "On enquiry by the Observer, the complaint was found to be true. Commission has therefore ordered a fresh poll at this polling station on May 19."

The EC said that re-polling was ordered for violation of secrecy of voting. Lok Sabha polls will come to an end with the last phase of voting on May 19. The counting of votes and result will be declared on May 23. The incident took place at Asawati village in the Faridabad parliamentary constituency where polling was held on May 12. The agent was arrested following a complaint by the EC and subsequently released on bail. In the video clip that went viral on social media, the polling agent was seen going near the enclosure meant for casting votes and trying to influence voters.

Here's the video that went viral on social media:

The Election Commission also placed the presiding officer concerned under suspension for dereliction of duty and initiated criminal action against him. "The presiding office Amit Atri has been placed under suspension for the dereliction of duty and criminal action is also being initiated against the presiding officer. Micro observer Sonal Gulati has not reported the incident correctly for which the commission has barred her from any election related work for three years," the poll panel said.

The EC in its order said that an FIR was lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 171 C (undue influence at elections) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) and section 135 of RP Act 1951 against the polling agent, Giriraj Singh. According to reports, the poll body said the Returning Officer 10 of Faridabad constituency has been transferred out from present posting. IAS officer Ashok Kumar Garg has been posted by the EC as new RO of the Faridabad constituency.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 14, 2019 08:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).