With the blow of bugle, political parties have begun their preparations for the upcoming municipal poll-2018 adopting several strategies. However, after the delimitation of wards several ward councilors, who are struggling hard to somehow manage the things at their respective wards in order to win the confidence of their loyal voters, have complained of irregularities in the electoral roll.
The councillors stated that despite of making constant efforts to get the voter lists corrected, no one had ever paid heed to their pleas. With merely a month left for the municipal election-2018, slated on April 16, most of the ward councilors have got stuck badly with the irregularities involved in voter lists.
Nazima Raza, ward councilor of ward number 16 along with the ward councilors of 7 and 15 again went to meet the senior officials of State Election Commission but had to return empty handed as regardless of assurances her correction file has not yet even moved an inch. As many as 569 voters of her ward have been affected due to delimitation of wards.
“I had submitted a written complaint about anomalies involved in voters’ lists with several other ward councilors on February 21. The officials of the State Election Commission had then asked us to come and verify the facts on February 23. However, so far, in spite of several attempts, no work has been done by the concerned officials. Every time, we come here, we get to hear some or the other excuse from the officials,” Raza said.
Not just Raza but Sujata Kacchap, ward councilor of ward number 7 told a similar tale. According to Kacchap as many as 300 voters of her ward are being affected by delimitation. “Mathematically, if you go, two polling booths of my ward have been left into total mess. As a leader of a particular area, now the responsibility is upon me to get the voters list corrected on time. At present, I am helpless as none of the officials are clarifying our doubts on this.”
Similarly, ward councilor 37, Arun Kumar Jha said that a delegation covering almost 90 pe rcent ward councilors were supposed to meet Ranchi DC, Rai Mahipat Ray but taking into account the approach of officials at the lower level including the pace of the work, the plan was cancelled. Jha said that over 70 per cent public of his ward have submitted a requisition letter regarding the alteration in voters list. “Nearly 1000 people of my ward are suffering due to delimitation and officials just give us reassurances,” Jha added.
When contacted Ranchi DC, Rai Mahimapat Ray to enquire about the steps being taken by the district administration to curtail the anomalies involved in voters list of different wards including the problem faced by ward councilors due to the delimitation plan, he said, “This is a constitutional matter and I am not the right person to comment on this issue.”
According to the sources, a few ward councilors on Wednesday have submitted a requisition letter to DDC Ranchi, Shashi Ranjan on this similar issue.