Residents of ward number 32 led by former legislator Ambrish Kumar collectively alleged manipulation of voters’ list for the forthcoming elections of municipal corporation. As many as 600 names of residents of different colonies in the holy city have been dropped, alleged the residents on Sunday. The Congress leaders alleged that the local lekhpal and BlO worked as if they were agents of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
They threatened to undertake protest if the district administration did not take act and get the voters’ list verified.
A retired BHEl officer, Shailesh Kumar from Gol Gurudwara colony showed his voter identification card but his entire family’s name was wiped out from the voters’ list which was retrieved by one Anuj Singh, who is prospective candidate for the local body elections. Ram Kumar Sehra from the same colony said that when the government officials came for name verification, he categorically told them about himself and family members but still their names were cut from the list.
Niraj Verma who runs a flour mill also alleged that in the previous local elections of 2013, their names were cut from the list though they have been staying in the area since 1985. Since photos of residents are not included in voters list, the names are manipulated easily, alleged the residents.
Usha Saxena was another complainant who had come with her husband in the same matter demanding inclusion of her name in the list. Speaking to this correspondent, former legislator Ambrish Kumar said, “It is totally unconstitutional on the part of Bharatiya Janata Party which claimed for one nation, one election but never had one voters list.
last time, name of Veena Shastri, principal of womens college, Kankhal was also dropped while she was a prospective candidate for the mayor’s post. About 600 voters’ names have been dropped from the ward of Anuj Singh. Why is the voter list for lS polls different from the municipal corporation election listsIJ," asked the Congress leader. He further said that the tenure of BJP for the past 10 years had been disappointing on various fronts be it solid waste management contract given to company which after nine years is still in limbo or high court orders to cancel the proposed delimitation of constituencies.
The Congress leader demanded immediate action for correction of voters list failing which there would be protests across the district.