Controversy erupted when a video surfaced online allegedly showing a minor casting a vote during the Lok Sabha election in Berasia, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The boy, purportedly the son of Vinay Mehar, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) panchayat leader, accompanied his father to the polling booth on Tuesday. In the 14-second clip, shared on Mehar’s Facebook page, the boy is seen pressing a button on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), symbolizing the BJP’s lotus.
The video prompted questions regarding the presence of a mobile phone in the booth and the allowance of the child’s presence. Piyush Babele, identified as a media advisor to former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, raised concerns online, questioning potential actions against such behaviour. The Election Commission has yet to respond, while district officials have acknowledged the video.
District Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh initiated an investigation, resulting in the suspension of Presiding Officer Sandeep Saini and the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against Mehar. The Berasia Assembly segment, where the incident occurred, is reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates and forms part of the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat.
Vishnu Khatre of the BJP holds the Berasia segment, while Pragya Thakur, also of the BJP, represents the Lok Sabha seat. Thakur, however, will not contest her seat in this election, as Alok Sharma has been nominated by the BJP, facing Arun Shrivastava of the Congress.