Who is BJP worker's son Rajan Thakur claims he cast 8 votes in UP

A viral video has surfaced showing a 16-year-old son of a BJP worker allegedly casting eight votes for the saffron party during the ongoing general elections in Uttar Pradesh, sparking controversy and prompting calls for action from the Election Commission of India, according to Scroll.in.

The individual in the video is Rajan Singh Thakur, the 16-year-old son of Anil Singh Thakur, a BJP worker and the gram pradhan (village head) of Khiri Pamaran. The incident occurred in Khiri Pamaran village, part of the Aliganj Assembly constituency within the Farrukhabad parliamentary seat, where polling took place on May 13 during the fourth phase of the general election. Mukesh Rajput, the sitting MP, is the BJP candidate for this constituency.

Update: The person in the video is 16-year-old Rajan Singh Thakur, son of a BJP worker Anil Singh Thakur. Anil is the gram pradhan of Khiri Pamaran and is a member of the BJP. https://t.co/0hGmwT02RG https://t.co/AwvFxPN1g1

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 19, 2024

The video, shared by Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on the micro-blogging site ‘X’, shows Rajan recording himself casting multiple votes for the BJP in a series of clips. In total, Rajan is seen casting eight votes.

Anil Singh Thakur confirmed to Scroll.in that the person in the video is indeed his son. Defending Rajan, Anil claimed that the video misrepresented his son's actions. He asserted that some instances in the video occurred while the voting machine was being tested, and other clips showed his son voting on behalf of mentally and physically disabled voters, which were then merged to create a misleading video.

The opposition has been vocal in its criticism, with Akhilesh Yadav demanding action from the Election Commission. In his social media post, Yadav accused the BJP of undermining the electoral process and described the party's booth committee as a "loot committee." The Congress party also called on the Election Commission to take action, posting on 'X': “Dear Election Commission…are you watching..a boy is voting 8-8 times ... .at least wake up now.”

अगर चुनाव आयोग को लगे कि ये गलत हुआ है तो वो कुछ कार्रवाई ज़रूर करे, नहीं तो…

भाजपा की बूथ कमेटी, दरअसल लूट कमेटी है। #नहीं_चाहिए_भाजपा pic.twitter.com/8gwJ4wHAdw

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 19, 2024

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took to 'X' to express his concerns: “Fearing and seeing their defeat, the BJP is attempting to undermine democracy by pressuring government machinery to deny the mandate. The Congress expects all officers performing election duties to remember their constitutional responsibilities despite any pressure from those in power. Otherwise, once the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc government is formed, actions will be taken to ensure that anyone will think ten times before violating their 'Oath to the Constitution'.”

Following the video's circulation, Naval Kishor Shakya, the Samajwadi Party candidate in Farrukhabad, filed a complaint with the district election officer. Shakya's complaint alleges that Rajan Singh Thakur cast votes after snatching voter information slips from other voters and that he was assisted by Dinesh Thakur, the station house officer of the local police station. Shakya has called for re-polling at the affected polling center.