Missing names: only 63 complaints filed

BMC election department reveals data in reply to RTI query

MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, 21/02/2017: Voters check their name in the voting list, try to compare it with the list available online at Maniklal, Ghatkopar befor casting their vote during civic election. Polling for 10 Municipal corporations, 11 Zila Parishad and 118 Panchayat committies begins in a single phase in Maharashtra. According election commission data, 17331 candidates contesting for 3210 seats in this election. Results will be declare on Febeuary 23, 2017. Photo: Prashant Nakwe.

Mumbai: Despite claims that more than 11 lakh names were missing from the electoral rolls during the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), neither citizens nor political parties seem interested in pursuing the matter.

In response to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by activist Anil Galgali, the BMC’s election department said it has received only 63 complaints in connection with the names missing from the voters’ list.

“Angry comments were heard all over the city after the election over the controversy. But after a month, no one seems to be really interested in pursuing the matter to its logical end,” Mr. Galgali.

Mr. Galgali had filed his query to find out the exact number of written complaints the department had received.

According to the election office administrative officer, the 63 complaints received were till the end of February. The reply also mentions the number of voters in the 2012 and 2017 civic polls — 1,02,86,579 and 91,80, 555 respectively — indicating that the number of voters in Mumbai went down by 11,06,024 in the last five years.

“However, with so many complaints about missing names on election day, it was expected that voters, citizens’ groups and political parties would voluntarily come forward and file complaints. With only 63 complaints, it shows the negative attitude of voters and that they are not serious about their own rights,” Mr. Galgali said.

Following the elections, the Shiv Sena had even decided to take up the issue in the court and to file a complaint with the State Election Commission (SEC) in this regard. Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, in his first press conference after the BMC poll results, had declared that the case had to be investigated.