Kanpur mayor Pramila Pandey was booked for taking pictures inside the polling booth at the Hudson School in the city for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022.

She shared a picture and video of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVN) while casting her vote in several WhatsApp groups. 

An FIR has been filed against Pandey for breach of secrecy of voting and revealing whom she voted for, under relevant sections. As her photos stirred controversy, another BJP leader, Nawab Singh, was also caught carrying the phone in the booth and shooting a video, which is now all over social media. 

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“An FIR is being lodged against Mrs Pramila Pandey under relevant sections for breach of secrecy of voting at Hudson School polling station,” the Kanpur district magistrate posted on Twitter.

District Magistrate Neha Sharma said Pandey violated the rules of the Election Commission by revealing the name of the party she voted for, reported PTI.

Uttar Pradesh is voting in the third phase of state Assembly elections on February 20. The polls will be held in seven phases for the state, and the last phase will be on March 3. Results will be declared on March 10, along with results of elections being held in other states and Union Territories (UTs), including Punjab, Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand.

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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the youth and first-time voters in both Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to vote. “The Punjab elections and the third phase of the UP elections are being held today. i call upon those voting today to do so in large numbers, particularly the youth as well as first-time voters”, he tweeted.

Polling in 59 constituencies for the third phase of UP elections began at 7 am while the polling in 117 constituencies in Punjab began at 8 am on Sunday.

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The voting percentage in phase 3 of the UP Assembly elections was recorded at 8.15% till 9 AM.