Officials sorry for bungling names

In the wake of thousands of names going missing from official voter lists across Telangana, sparking sit-in protests in some constituencies, chief electoral officer Rajat Kumar has tendered an apology and promised to take corrective measures.

While a large number of names of voters going missing is a regular phenomenon in India, this time the uproar in Telangana was louder as many VIPs also joined the protest.

“We have to rectify the mistakes before the 2019 polls,” he said announcing that a summary revision of the electoral rolls will be taken up from January 1.

There was a raging controversy over the electoral list in Telangana over the last few months, as elections were advanced and the revision of lists planned from January 1 could not be taken up. After a hue and cry by the opposition the list was revised, taking the number of registered voters up from 26.1 million to 28.1 million.

But Krishna Prasad, director-general of the Road Safety Authority, said he was told at the polling station his name was not on the list. The elections chief also ordered a probe into the complaint by exbadminton star Jwala Gutta that her name was also missing.