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| Resentment brewing up against new voters’ lists | | Local Bodies’ Elections | |
KUNAL SHRIVATSA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 27: Though the process of correction, deletion and addition of voters for the forthcoming local bodies’ elections is going on for the last one month but the whole exercise to update the old electoral rolls is receiving brickbats rather than praise from citizens.
Jammuites in general and political parties in particular are alleging that there are several discrepancies in the new voters’ lists prepared by Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC).
The resentment of some political outfits as well as general public against the JMC came to fore today when State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pooh-poohed the newly drafted electoral rolls saying that the party completely rejects the new lists citing plethora of mistakes in preparing them.
Addressing media persons here today, BJP spokesperson Ramesh Arora said that it has been observed that election conducting authorities are not serious at all to carry out free and fair elections.
“They have deputed supervisors of JMC, which may be temporary or permanent, illiterate or educated, to get the work done. Even they are not trained and are not visiting door to door.” alleged Ramesh Arora adding “It appears that they are adopting casual and callous approach towards review of voters’ lists. By this method they will debar eligible voters from casting their votes for the candidates of their choice.”
Arora said that we have received complaints that new lists, which have been circulated for making corrections, additions or deletions, are totally defective.
BJP leader cited examples of Ward numbers 68, 69 and 70, where proper numbering of houses and sectors is in practice but the bases on which the new lists have been prepared, it is not only difficult rather impossible to trace the names because these lists have not shown the correct house numbers assigned to a particular residence.
He gave one more example saying that in Ward No 35 names of 250 voters are missing which were there in the previous voter lists. There are also complaints of dividing the families by shifting of voters from one booth to another and in some cases to other wards. Arora alleged that voter identity cards have also not been issued to majority of voters due to which they are facing problems.
Demanding that previous voter lists of 2005 Municipal Corporation election should be treated as Zero/Basic lists, Ramesh Arora said same be circulated through responsible officials for corrections and deletions.
BJP spokesperson alleged “It appears that some intentional attempt has been made by certain elements to cause confusion in the voter lists so that the people are debarred from casting their valuable vote.”
The wrong doings of JMC in preparing new voters’ lists could be gauged from the fact that surprisingly the name of former Mayor Narendra Singh Jamwal is also missing in the voters’ list and if sources are to be believed this is not an isolated case, there are large number of people, whose names are either got deleted or misspelled in the fresh lists.
It speaks volume of mismanagement and incompetence on part of JMC.
Speaking to Early Times, former Mayor Narendra Singh said, “The entire exercise of preparing new electoral rolls is being done in a haphazard manner and in haste.”
“The process of revision should have been started six months prior to the local bodies’ elections as per the directives of the Supreme Court.” he added
Singh further said, “The procedure adopted in preparation of new lists is not only strange but a crude joke being played by the authorities.” adding “ How the authorities concerned are suppose to conduct free and fair elections where there are huge amount of discrepancies including spelling mistakes, wrong names besides incorrect addresses and house numbers.
This is a clear case of denying justice to lakhs of voters.”
Similarly, hundreds of irate residents of Ward Number 70 comprising Sector D, E and F of Sainik Colony staged a protest demonstration against the alleged faulty voters’ lists.
The protesting residents alleged that it is for the first time in the history that the voters’ list has been prepared without any address of the electorates.
Shouting slogans against JMC, the people burnt the copies of new electoral rolls alleging that in the newly drafted lists the house numbers and sectors have been scrapped so that the bogus voters could not be recognized and easily added in the list.
Speaking to Early Times, President Residents’ Welfare and Development Association, Ward No 70, BS Jamwal said, “Voters’ lists do not have any legal foundation, source or base and prepared at the behest of some vested interests to carry forward the evil designs of those who want to manipulate and jeopardize the democratic set up.”
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