Congress leader Arvind Shinde finds someone else voted in his name
Upon reaching the booth, Shinde was surprised to find that while his name was on the voters’ list, someone had already cast the vote
For Pune City Congress chief Arvind Shinde, all the enthusiasm turned into frustration when he reached the polling booth at Saint Mira’s English Medium School in Rasta Peth to cast his vote for Lok Sabha polls on Monday.
Upon reaching the booth, Shinde was surprised to find that while his name was on the voters’ list, someone had already cast the vote. Shinde approached the presiding official at polling booth and raised objection over the way “bogus voting” was made in his name by someone else.
“After raising the objection, I was allowed to cast tender vote. However, the entire process tells us how anyone can come and cast vote on someone else’s name,” Shinde said. Tender vote allows person to get a chance to exercise his right through a tendered ballot by filling Form 17-B, if he or she possesses voter ID and voter slip, under the Indian Election Act, 1961.
However, there were many others who found their names missing from the voter list when they reached the polling booth.
It was a major disappointment for Ketan Pardeshi and his mother as they realised that their names are missing from the voter list.
“Since last several years we are exercising franchise at Navi Peth area and our names are already listed on the voters’ list. However, we found our names missing on the list when we reached the polling booth on Monday. Several other citizens also complained about their names missing on the voter list,” said Ketan.
Like Baramati Lok Sabha elections, large number of citizens were furious as their names were missing from the voter list in various areas under Pune and Shirur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Another citizen Rasika Mhetre from Kothrud area who had come along with her friends to cast vote said, “Name of more than 10 people from my residential society were missing on the voter list and even mine. I have voted in last two Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission of India should look into the issue. While the poll body is encouraging people to cast vote, many names are missing on voters’ list.”
Vivek Velankar, president, Sajag Nagarik Manch said, “There are complaints about names of those who have been on the voter list for years being deleted this year. This happens every time and the administration is free to blame the citizens for not carefully seeing the lists. Citizens are deprived of voting. Administration cannot abdicate responsibility and they should be obliged to answer how the name was deleted. The name can be deleted only for two reasons: one is if the person is reported with proof of death and second if the citizen reports change of address. But if none of these has happened, it must be disclosed how the name was deleted. When India is the world’s superpower in the field of computers, the administration cannot shake off the problem of deleting the name from the electoral roll. After the election, the administration should prepare a list of citizens whose names were on the voter list till the last election and deleted this year. You don’t have to be deprived of your democratic right.”
BJP Pune Lok Sabha candidate Murlidhar Mohol said, “We are going to take up the issue with the state election commission as there are many citizens who could not vote. The exercise of updating the names on the voter list should be done throughout the year and before the polls so that no one is left out from the voter list.”
