Names of 5,500 dead voters found in list in MP

Bhopal, April 24

Over 5,500 dead voters and 1,900 multiple entries were found in the voters list of Madhya Pradesh's Kolaras Assembly constituency, where bypoll was held on February 24, according to a letter from the state's CEO to the Election Commission (EC).

In the letter, sent earlier this month to the EC, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Saleena Singh blamed the district collector and district electoral officer for the lapse.

There were 1,918 multiple entries and 5,537 dead voters in the voters list during the byelection in Kolaras in Shivpuri district, she said.

It means booth level officers and the electoral registration officer (ERO) did not pay attention towards it and the district electoral officer (DEO) as well as they did not do proper monitoring, according to the letter.

Singh said if the collector and the DEO had continuously reviewed the voters list, especially before the bypolls, then such a large number of dead voters would have not been included.

There has to be a review of the voters list by the collector and the DEO, which appears to have not been done, said the letter, a copy of which was received in reply to an RTI application filed by anti-corruption activist Ajay Dubey.

“There are complaints of alleged irregularities in voters list of the state. We will approach the EC for speedy action on the issue to ensure fair elections,” Dubey said, demanding action from the poll body against the Shivpuri collector.

Congress' Mahendra Yadav won from Kolaras constituency in the byelections, result of which were declared on February 28.

Yadav polled 82,515 votes and BJP's Devendra Jain got 74,432 ballots.

In March, the state Chief Electoral Office had written to Collector, Shivpuri, Tarun Rathi to give his clarification over the issue of alleged irregularities in the voters list.

The Election Commission of India had sought response from the collector and the DEO.

The Congress had in February this year complained to the EC of alleged discrepancies in the voters list in Madhya Pradesh.

Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat had recently in Indore said there were discrepancies in the electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh and that they will be rectified before the year-end assemble polls in the state.

"Certainly, there are lapses (in revision of the rolls). After a probe, ineligible names will be removed from the list and new names will be added so that before the coming assembly polls, a correct voter list is prepared," he had told reporters on April 9. PTI