Jagran Correspondent, Jhansi: Bizarre voter names, including entries such as ‘Ram ne sham ko mara’, have come under scrutiny after voter slips containing unusual names and other errors surfaced in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Jhansi-Allahabad Graduates Legislative Council elections which are scheduled for Friday.
The Election Department has ordered an investigation into the errors found in the voter list for the constituency. The slips circulating online showed bizarre names, along with discrepancies in voters’ details.
According to Jagran.com, State Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa directed the Returning Officer and Jhansi Divisional Commissioner Bimal Kumar Dubey to investigate the matter and submit a report.
The investigation also found more than 100 duplicate voter entries in the electoral rolls. Officials are preparing a separate list of these entries, which will be shared with the presiding officers at the respective polling booths. Polling personnel have been asked to remain alert and carefully check such entries during voting.
In a press release issued on October 17, the Divisional Commissioner clarified that no eligible voter would be denied the right to vote because of a clerical error in the voter list.
If a voter's identity is verified at the polling station, they will be allowed to cast their vote after the presiding officer or polling officer is satisfied with their identity. Instructions have already been issued to polling personnel to ensure that genuine voters are not turned away because of such mistakes.
Bizarre Names Found On Voter Slips
Some of the voter slips that went viral featured names that caught people's attention. In one case, a voter's name was recorded as ‘Moorkh Kali Devi’, while the father's name was listed as ‘Ramjit Patel’.
Another slip listed the father's name as ‘Ram hit Sharma ko mara’ (Ram hit Sharma). In a separate case, both the voter's name and the father's name were recorded as ‘Takkar marna’ (to hit or collide).
After the matter came to the attention of the State Chief Electoral Officer, an investigation was ordered. Divisional Commissioner Bimal Kumar Dubey then arranged for the voter list to be checked.
Will Voters Be Allowed To Vote Despite Errors In The Electoral Rolls?
The Divisional Commissioner has made it clear that voters will not be stopped from casting their ballots simply because of a spelling mistake or another clerical error in the voter list.
Presiding officers and polling officers can allow eligible voters to cast their ballots in accordance with the rules once their identities have been verified. The Election Department aims to ensure that no eligible voter loses their voting rights because of technical or clerical discrepancies in the electoral rolls.
UP Legislative Council Elections On October 23
Polling for 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council seats is scheduled for October 23, while the counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on October 27.
With errors and duplicate entries identified in the voter list, the Election Department has alerted polling personnel and asked them to remain vigilant during the voting process.
Officials have said that the necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that polling takes place in a fair and transparent manner.
( With inputs from Surendra Singh )