Bhubaneswar: A teacher of Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV), posted as the presiding officer at a booth during the by-election in Odisha’s Nuapada Assembly constituency, was suspended on Tuesday for violating the secrecy of voting.
The teacher, identified as Sandeep Kumar Swain, is a Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) of OAV Timanpur in Sinnapali block. Posted as the presiding officer of Booth No. 46, Swain was placed under suspension by the Nuapada Collector with immediate effect for breaching poll norms related to voting secrecy.
As per the order issued by the Collector, Swain will remain attached to OAV at Neigipali during the suspension period. His reinstatement will be considered only after clearance from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha.
This is the second such action taken on polling day. Earlier, Presiding Officer Dhananjay Mallik of Booth No. 36, Kuliabandh, was also suspended for a similar violation of voting secrecy.
Polling for the Nuapada bypoll which commenced at 7 AM across 358 booths amid tight security, will continue till 5 pm in most booths. In 47 polling stations located in remote and Maoist-sensitive areas, voting will close at 4 pm, to ensure safe return of polling personnel. A total of 2.53 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in the by-election.
The election was necessitated by the death of four-time MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8.
