Election Commission has apologized to the voters across the country including Maharashtra whose names were missing in the voting list.
Election Commissioner HS Brahma admitted the lapses and apologised to people.
“I apologise firstly that such a large number of our Indian voters were unable to cast their votes,” Brahma said to a TV channel.
“Once we declare result of 2014 we will go for fresh enumeration. We have to find out how it has happened. I have not seen this kind of massive operational mistake. I can’t understand how so many names can be missing,” he promised.
Blaming the ground level work, Brahma said, “This unauthorised deletion happened due to lack of supervision on the ground. I think it could have happened at the ground level due to lack of co-ordination. This is a lapse on our part, we should acknowledge and rectify our mistake.”
Meanwhile angry voters are planning to knock the court against Election Commission on this issue. A public interest litigation (PIL) will be filed on Monday in the Bombay High Court.
“Scores of residents found their names missing from the list. People whose names were there in the electoral rolls for the previous Lok Sabha, assembly and civic polls were all of suddenly missing. So, we protested the same at the assistant returning official’s centre at Sahkar Nagar in Wadala, where we met with arrogant staffers who refused to co-operate. So, we are taking up the issue before the HC. We are also going to seek a re-election,” BJP activist Vyomkesh Panchamatia said.
Defending its stand, Maharashtra EC said they had issued advertisements in newspapers prior to votes to check their name in the voters list.
“The EC had issued several advertisements in newspapers urging people to check their names in the voter lists online well in advance. Those whose names are missing can be added when the EC updates its lists from the 20th of May,” the Maharashtra EC said.
Slamming the voters who have complained that their names were missing in the voters list, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said, they should have checked earlier.
“I don’t understand why corporates are complaining about their names missing from the electoral list. They could have checked it before the voting day. Don’t they check their names on the list before boarding an international flight? I can understand if slum dwellers make such complaints,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said.
The BJP has joined the protests in Pune where reportedly over 1 lakh voters could not cast their votes as their names were missing in the voting list. The protestors are demanding re-polls in Pune.
Tags: 2014 Lok Sabha polls EC EC apologises Election Commission elections 2014 general elections HS Brahma india Maharashtra missing names missing voters voters list
