Vote rigging during elections is common in India. Now it has been exported to Britain, too — by none other than those from the subcontinent.
LONDON: Vote rigging during elections is common place in India, but now it has been exported to Britain, too — and by none other than those from the subcontinent. A constituency in Coventry, central England, which held local council polls last month, may be forced to hold a re-election after allegations that identities of voters who were out of town were stolen and votes were cat on their behalf.
Khaliq Abdul, one of the first Asians to move into Foleshill, a large South Asian ghetto, in Coventry, 42 years ago, was away in Pakistan with a neighbour to visit a sick relative, when an impostor cast his vote for him. Abdul’s passport shows he did not return to Britain until May 15, whereas the election was held on 4 May. “I wasn’t even here, and yet the election register shows a vote has been cast by me,” said Abdul.
Sajawal Mohammad, who accompanied Abdul, is still in Pakistan, and yet his vote has also been cast. There are similar stories from Shamim Hussain and her husband Mukhtar who also returned from Pakistan on 14 May, ten days after the election.
The fraud becomes even more significant as the election was won by a margin of just 6 votes. The Conservative candidate Altaf Adalat snatched the constituency from the sitting Labour councillor Malkiat Singh Auluck with just six votes, giving the Tories their first victory in Coventry since 1979. The gain was so important that David Cameron, the new Tory leader had jumped into a helicopter and made a triumphant visit as soon as the results were announced.
A petition has been lodged by Auluck, the defeated Labour councillor, in the High Court giving names and addresses of 10 voters whose votes were stolen. West Midlands Police have been called in to investigate, and if the allegations are proved correct then the repoll will be ordered.
Adalat who won the election has a different view. “We won a fair election. One person had to win. Why cry about it now?” said Adalat.
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