MCD Election 2017: Names missing from voters' list, many return home disappointed

New Delhi: Many Delhiites who braved a scorching sun to reach polling stations to cast their vote for the municipal elections on Sunday had to return home disappointed as their names were missing from the electoral rolls. Such complaints were received from different wards across the city. [caption id=“attachment_3381182” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Opposition parties have alleged that the BJP has been tampering with EVMs to win elections. PTI[/caption] Looking for a solution, many of them approached polling officials but in vain. A GTB Nagar resident and voter of N 14 ward, businessman Pawan Chaudhary, reached the polling booth armed with his voter ID card, but realised that his name was missing from the voters’ list. “My father votes in every election but this time his name and photo were missing. Another man’s name and photo were in the voters’ list against our residential address,” said Chaudhary’s daughter Juhi. “We tried to contact the helpline number of the Election Commission but it turned out to be invalid,” she said. Parveen Kumar, a resident of Burari, also could not vote owing to the same problem. “I have been casting my vote for the last 20 years. I was surprised when I was told by officials at the polling booth that my name is not in the list,” said Kumar. Senior media professional Sanjay Kaw experienced a similar problem. “I had voted in the MCD bypoll last year but on Sunday when I reached the polling booth at Kondli, I found my name missing from the voters’ list. I sought help from officials but they could not do anything,” Kaw said. An official of the State Election Commission said that the voters’ list is upgraded regularly and voters are provided the opportunity to rectify any error in it, failing which problems are encountered in casting vote.