Chennai: Actor Akshaya Hariharan has alleged a shocking case of bogus voting during the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, claiming that her vote was fraudulently cast by another individual.
The incident reportedly came to light when the actor arrived at a polling booth in Adyar, Chennai, only to discover that her vote had already been recorded. According to her account, she had not received a voter slip and had instead located her polling station through online means before reaching the booth.
After waiting for nearly an hour at the polling station, she was informed at the time of voting that her ballot had already been cast. While the electoral records carried her correct personal details, including her name and her father’s name, the photograph attached reportedly belonged to a different individual, raising serious concerns about identity verification lapses.
The actor later shared her experience on social media, flagging what she described as a grave failure in the verification process. She alleged that official records even showed a fingerprint against her name, suggesting that someone else had successfully impersonated her and voted.
Following the complaint, polling officials permitted her to cast a tender vote. However, she expressed dissatisfaction with the process, reportedly finding it inadequate and lacking transparency. She also indicated her intention to escalate the matter by filing a formal complaint with the returning officer.
The episode has once again put the spotlight on electoral safeguards, with the allegations pointing to potential loopholes in voter identification and polling procedures.