EC finds Smriti's charge of booth capturing false

Lucknow: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh, Lakku Venkateshwarlu, has said that the allegations of booth capturing leveled by Union minister Smriti Irani in Amethi are false.

Talking to reporters here on Monday evening, the CEO said the charges leveled by an elderly woman in a video clip that went viral on social media were found to be "baseless".

"Following the complaint, the sector officer, senior officials and even observers rushed to the booth and spoke to the polling agents of the political parties, other officials in the polling booth following which it was conclusively found that the charges in the video clip were fabricated. Due to prima facie allegations in the clip, the presiding officer was summarily removed while the probe was going on," he said.

The video clip had created a huge controversy with Smriti Irani claiming that booth capturing was being done at the behest of Congress President Rahul Gandhi who is seeking re-election in Amethi.

Smriti Irani, who is the BJP candidate in Amethi, had tagged the video in her tweet and alleged that polls were being rigged.