Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Citing anomalies in Kota voter list, Cong demands EC probe

- HT Correspond­ent hrtraj@htlive.com

charges of anomalies in the voter list of many assembly constituen­cies, the Congress on Monday demanded that the State Election Commission probe the matter.

Addressing a press conference in Kota, Pradesh Congress Congress general secretary Pankaj Mehta claimed that his party has found bogus and duplicate names in the voter list of Kota South, Kota North and Ladpura assembly constituen­cies.

He said there were four types of anomalies in the voter list. “Around 906 voter names have been found to be duplicated in three assembly constituen­cies of Kota district including Kota North, Kota South and Ladpura, in which the names of voters, their father/husband name, age and house address are similar,” he said showing the voter list last updated in January this year.

Citing an example, Mehta said that the name of a voter, Ankit Kumar, 19, son of Gopal Lal, with residence address Panditji ka Makan, Indira Gandhi Nagar, exists on booth number 161 in the voter list of Ladpura constituen­cy with two serial numbers, 316 and 317, and two Voter Id numbers, SVS/1717404 SVS/1879741.

“Names, age and father name of two voters can be a coincidenc­e, but their address is also same, which smells foul play in the voter lists,” he alleged.

Mehta said that there are 13,812 voters in the three constituen­cies, who share same name, father name and age and around 1,35,150 voters who share same name and father name. “There are also 1,351 voters with duplicate voter Ids in these three assembly constituen­cies,” he said and showed some documented names in the support.

Pankaj, the Congress candidate who lost the last assembly election from Kota South, alleged that the names of bogus voters have been added after pressure from some influentia­l leaders of a rival political party, which should be investigat­ed. “We have submitted a memorandum to the district election officer of Kota which was addressed to the State Election Officer for probe and correction of the voter lists.”

Kota district collector Gaurav Goyal, who is also the district election officer, said, “We have received a complaint from the Congress and we will probe the issue and action will be taken if the complaint is true,” he said. and

KOTA:Levelling

 ?? AH ZAIDI/HT PHOTO ?? PCC general secretary Pankaj Mehta (right) shows a voters list in Kota on Monday.
AH ZAIDI/HT PHOTO PCC general secretary Pankaj Mehta (right) shows a voters list in Kota on Monday.

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