Why pay taxes when we cannot vote, ask voters
Many people could not find their names in the electoral rolls
LUCKNOW: Many voters who were fuming on not finding their names in the voters list said when they did not pay taxes, they were penalised. But if their names did not exist in the voters list , why should they pay municipal taxes, they asked.
Angry voters asked why did the Election Commission not compare the voter list with the list of citizens paying municipal taxes . They also asked why was there a separate voter list for three different elections.
Senior Congress leader Luv Bhargava, a resident of Naval Kishore Estate on MG Marg, was shocked to see his name missing from the voters list at Lucknow Municipal Corporation polling station. “I have never missed out on elections. This was the first time I could not vote,” said Bhargava who contested MLA ‘selection in 1993. “Several thousand voters missed out because their names were not there. This may have led to poor turn out among voters,” Bhargava said.
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Sandeep Kapoor said, “Names of all family members were missing from the voters list. We live at 3/304 Vishal khand Gomti Nagar. Names of 9 voters were missing, although we voted in the Vidhan Sabha elections held earlier this year. This is ridiculous.” .
Member Parliament Sanjay Seth tweeted , “I am a member of Parliament (Rajya sabha) from Lucknow but in this election, my name and my family’s names have been deliberately removed so that I cannot vote. Complaint has been given to all the authorities in writing. Just for information for you all.”
LU professor NK Pandey could not exercise his franchise due to the same reason . At Balaganj in Mallahai Tola ward-I, a senior citizen Ashok Singh and his wife Tara Singh could not vote as their names were missing.
Some of the voters also created a ruckus at the polling centre, blaming the Election Commission of a ‘biased approach’. “It’s purely foul play. Why are the names of only Muslims missing from the voters list,” said Waseem Akhtar, a resident of Old City, who reached Nagar Nigam to cast his franchise but could not.
DM Kaushal Raj Sharma said, “Only a small number of names was missing from the list. But what about those 14 lakh legitimate voters who did not turn up to vote?”