Sowmya B.R., a young voter in Vasanthappa Block of Ganganagar in Hebbal constituency, was thrilled that she would be voting for the first time. But her enthusiasm evaporated when the names of her parents, with whom she had come to vote, were missing from the list.
“My parents have their old voters’ identity cards and had assumed that their names would be on the list. But it is strange that only my name has appeared in the list,” said a visibly upset Ms. Sowmya.
The usual confusion over names missing from voters’ list reappeared this time as well, though not on the same scale as in the 2008 Assembly elections.
Syeda Noor Ayesha and Syeda Shaista Anjum, homemakers from Kousarnagar in the same constituency, were furious over not finding their names on the list. “When our husbands’ names figure on it, where are ours?” Ms. Anjum asked. Similar complaints were reported from Jakkasandra in BTM Layout constituency and around Siddapura in Chickpet constituency, Vyalikaval and Subramanyanagar.
Common grouse
The common grouse was that people had their old cards and yet their names were missing. Personnel manning the kiosks set up by the Election Commission in Hebbal said that the commission had widely publicised and it was up to the people to verify. “Moreover, the last date to enrol names had been extended till April 17, the last day of filing nomination papers,” said one.
With upset voters mobbing the kiosks, the personnel had a tough time explaining to the voters the reasons for their names not figuring on the rolls.
Janakiraman, social worker, said that a large number of residents of Jaffar Block in the constituency found themselves left out and alleged that the names were deleted deliberately.
Also missing was the name of Vimala Rangachar of the Crafts Council of Karnataka, who is one of the oldest residents of Malleswaram.
M. Muniraju from Vignananagar in K.R. Puram constituency, whose family was denied their right to vote, said that it should not be necessary for people to get a photo identity card (like EPIC) validated before every election.
S. Vaidyanath from BTM Layout, whose family of four had voted in the last elections, said that two names had gone missing from the rolls this time.
Names repeated
There was a problem of plenty is some areas. In Jayanagar 9 Block, the voters’ list of Part No 110 had Bharadwaj Ramesh’s name repeat eight times while Sukanya K. and R.D. Lavanya saw their names had been listed twice.
