Bengaluru, 27 April

Election Commission has dismissed as "incorrect and baseless" reports alleging non-activation of a ballot unit by a polling official in a polling booth in Shantinagar, Bengaluru during Lok Sabha elections on Friday.

"Reports of alleged non-activation of a ballot unit by a polling official in a polling booth in Shantinagar in Bengaluru, circulating on social media & WhatsApp as an audio message are incorrect & baseless. The correct position has been outlined below by DEO, after due enquiry," Election Commission said in a post on X.

District Election Officer also confirmed the same. "Complaint of not activating the BALLOT button of the Control Unit at the time of casting the vote on Ballot Unit in Booth No.17, 163-Shantinagar-Reg. Upon receipt of the complaint, the Assistant Returning Officer, 163- Shantinagar Assembly, has directed the Sector Magistrate to immediately reach the polling station and report the issue. It was found that the total entries in register 17A and the Control Unit perfectly tallied, indicating that no such case of non-activation of BALLOT button has been reported from the said polling station," Bengaluru District Election Officer said in a post on X on Friday. –ANI