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Gurgaon’s errant voters’ list includes man dead for 12 years

May 26, 2024 05:16 AM IST

In one instance, a woman who voted in the last election could not find her name on the list, while the name of her deceased spouse, after 12 years, made a return to the roll. In another case, a government school teacher’s brother was not able to cast his vote as he was, instead of the teacher, marked as a government employee

Missing names from electoral lists was a constant complaint from voters across polling booths in Badshahpur, albeit due to differing reasons. In one instance, a woman who voted in the last election could not find her name on the list, while the name of her deceased spouse, after 12 years, made a return to the roll. In another case, a government school teacher’s brother was not able to cast his vote as he was, instead of the teacher, marked as a government employee who had been transferred out of the Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency.

Polling was mostly peaceful across the Gurgaon Lok Sabha segment. (Parveen Kumat/HT Photo)
Polling was mostly peaceful across the Gurgaon Lok Sabha segment. (Parveen Kumat/HT Photo)

Booth-level officers and presiding officers said that they were helpless as they had to follow the final voters’ enrolment list provided to them.

Seventy-eight-year-old Ram Rati, upon reaching booth number 425 in Badshahpur, was appalled at not only being unable to find her name, but to find her deceased spouse’s name on it.

“I have come here to vote. I am alive. How can they not allow me? I won’t return (without voting),” she said, protesting outside the booth along with her family members who, also refused to cast their votes.

The family members were later pacified and asked to exercise their voting rights.

Ritesh Yadav, 38, a polling agent present at the booth, said that at least 70 to 80 names were deleted from the voters’ list, suspecting clerical error behind the same.

“Ram Rati’s spouse Meer Singh had died over 12 years ago. Her name was present on the voters’ list till the last election, but this time, it was deleted. Instead, her deceased spouse was shown to be alive as per the voters’ list,” Yadav said.

“We had cross-checked the names several times before sending them for preparation of voter lists, but even then, such blunders have been made,” he said.

Sandeep Yadav, 45, a polling agent at booth number 425, said that a voter could not exercise his franchise as he was incorrectly marked “transferred out” due to his brother being in a government job.

“Devendar Yadav, 52, is a teacher in a government school in another district of Haryana. His brother, Somdutt Yadav, 49, is present here in Teekli but he could not cast his vote as he was shown as a government employee posted outside and the teacher as a regular voter,” Yadav said.

Voters of booths 424-428 in Teekli, 409 in Aklimpur and 410 in Palra, all under Badshahpur, were unhappy with being categorised as booths of “critical category”, saying a fight that took place around 30 years ago ahead of the panchayat polls — that left one dead and 15 injured — continues to embarrass them.

Sixty-eight-year-old Satveer Singh, who has been residing in Teekli and witnessed the incident, said: “These booths are continuously being categorised as either sensitive or critical, despite no such violence since then. The government must review and rid our village of this tag. It feels embarrassing.”

Govind Singh, a 58-year-old villager of Palra, said he can’t recall the violence. “It brings a bad name to the village when discussions take place. Villagers also feel intimidated as more security personnel remain deployed in comparison to other booths. We want to exercise our votes without any fear or feeling or intimidation.”

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