Hours after a Congress delegation from Madhya Pradesh on Sunday met the Election Commission and demanded an enquiry into the alleged 60 lakh fake voters among the 5-crore electorate in the State, the poll panel has deputed two teams to probe the accusation.
The EC has directed probe into the alleged errors in the voters’ list and asked the teams to submit their reports by June 7. One team from Bhopal will probe the alleged irregularities in the Assembly constituencies of Narela and Bhojpur, while the second team will probe the Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) and Seoni Malwa constituencies. The EC asked teams to reach the spot by June 4.
Earlier, a Congress delegation led by Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia met EC officials and sought action on the irregularities in the voters’ list. Out of 5 crore voters in Madhya Pradesh, according to the Congress’ claims, 12 per cent of them are fake.
In the last Assembly elections held in the State, the difference between the Congress’ and BJP’s share was 8.5 per cent.
As per the EC order, the team will probe the specific issues raised in the complaint. The EC order said Divisional Commissioner of Bhopal and Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) divisions will work as roll observers for the respective divisions, and they shall direct the deputy electoral officers and the electoral roll officers to assist the Commission.
The team will probe how alleged errors, if any, have crept into the electoral rolls and to find out the alleged bogus/fake names, if any, in the voters’ list. If yes, they will take necessary steps to delete it following due process and find out how did it happenIJ
MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said they have provided ‘evidence for approximately 60 lakh fake voters registered in the voting list’. The Congress leaders also pointed out that a 40 per cent rise in the number of voters in the State, as against a 24-per cent rise in the population, was “inconceivable and incalculable”.
The EC has also ordered to probe each of the specific issues raised in the complaint concerning the Assembly constituencies. “The probe team will assess the status of field verification (door-to-door survey being undertaken) related to demographically similar entries in the electoral list pertaining to the constituencies. To assess the progress of the corrective actions, if any, already undertaken by the chief electoral officer of the State,” the EC said.
“At least 60 lakh fake voters have been enlisted in it. We have conducted our own enquiry in 100 constituencies. We have given proof to the EC as regards how one voter has been enlisted in different constituencies with the same name, address and father’s name. This cannot be any mistake, it has been done deliberately by the present Madhya Pradesh Government,” Nath said after meeting the EC officials.
The Congress leaders also requested the EC for a special monitoring mechanism to remove all the “multiple” and “demographically similar” entries and urged the EC to inform all the national political parties on a weekly basis about the status of identification of such voters at least at the district level.
Demanding strict action against the returning officers for their alleged involvement in coming up with such “fraudulent” electoral rolls, the Congress leaders also said the EC should not deploy them on poll duty in the future.
“The officers, who produce the second corrected list, should also give an affidavit or a certificate, along with the correct list,” Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said. Earlier in February also, the Congress had complained to the EC about discrepancies in MP voters’ list, asking it to take steps for ensuring free and fair elections.
In April, State’s chief electoral officer Salina Singh said that 6 lakh names were removed from the voters’ list.