Shimoga DCC demands inquiry into missing names in voters list

SHIMOGA, DHNS:

The Shimoga District Congress Committee on Monday, submitted a petition to the Chief Executive Officer of the State Election Commission Mr Abhijit Das Gupta seeking a comprehensive inquiry into the large number of missing names in the voters lists in Shimoga district.

The petition noted that thousands of voters had been denied of their fundamental democratic right to vote. The election commission should clarify as to who had hatched this systematic conspiracy and how it proposes to compensate for this loss of a voter’s right.

The State Election Commission should announce the kind of disciplinary action it proposes to initiate against those responsible for this ‘oversight’, the petition urged. Pointing out that the names of voters belonging to minority and dalit communities which had disappeared from the voters list in many booths, the party said that this was a big setback in holding a free and fair election.

The commission should identify the real culprits behind this unpardonable ‘oversight’ and initiate suitable action against them, the petition demanded.

Accepting the petition, Chief Election Officer Mr Das Gupta said that the commission has already ordered an inquiry and this will be applicable for Shimoga district also.

District Congress committee president Mir Aziz Ahmed, vice president Prasannakumar, secretary N Ramesh, member Kalagodu Rathnakar, youth leader S P Dinesh and other Congress leaders were among those present on the occasion.

Report on missing names
The State Election Commission will submit a report on the missing names of voters from voters lists around the State and based on the decision of the CEC, a probe may be ordered, Chief Electoral Officer of the Karnataka State Election Commission Abhijit Das Gupta said.

Disclosing this to press persons here on Monday, Mr Abhijit Das Gupta said that these complaints have been received from many parts of the State including Shimoga and Bangalore. The State Election Commission will file a detailed report on these confusions to the CEC and seek a probe, he said.

The electoral rolls are revised once every five years. Enumerators visit each and every house to collect details about new entries and deletions.

Many times, the houses will be locked or the information is not available readily. In such cases, the enumerator should visit the house again and again to collect the relevant data, he said.

The concerned revenue authorities have the responsibility of ensuring this, Mr Abhijit Das Gupta said.

Lapses do occur due to various reasons. However, re-election cannot be held since the percentage of polling has exceeded 50 per cent, he said.

Results of the election are expected much earlier this year due to the use of the EVMs, Mr Abhijit Das Gupta added.