PUNJAB POLL 2022: Nominees accuse poll staff of not updating electoral rolls

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, February 22

As polling percentage dipped around 6-7 per cent in four districts of Doaba compared to 2017 Assembly poll, most candidates have blamed the election staff for not revising the electoral rolls and deleting names of absent, dead or shifted voters.

The candidates alleged that focus of the Booth Level Officers remained on increasing the number of voters by registering new ones and did not work on deletions.

Further, huge migration of youngsters from Doaba has become a reason for low turnout. They maintain that the dip had a little to do with multi-corner contests or people getting confused on whom they should go for.

15K listed voters were dead

Apart from indifference to politics, we found that nearly 15,000 voters listed with us were dead. We got this data when our BLOs went to deliver voter slips. Ghanshyam Thori, Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner

Jalandhar reported a poll percentage of only 66.95 per cent as compared to 73.16 per cent in 2017 and 75.15 per cent in 2012. Of the total 16.67 lakh voters in Jalandhar district, only 11.30 lakh voters exercised their franchise this time.

Rajinder Beri, Jalandhar Central MLA and Congress candidate, said, “It cannot be possible that a whopping number of 5.37 lakh people in Jalandhar stayed indoors and did not cast their vote. Actually, most of them were not here.”

Jalandhar Central had the lowest poll percentage in Doaba at 60.65 per cent.

Beri rued, “We had got the voter lists 25 days ahead of the polling. When our teams went door-to-door, they used to return with a feedback that a large number of voters in the list have migrated abroad or had shifted to other localities in Jalandhar and its periphery.”

He said, “We pointed this out to the election staff. We also raised objection that polling booths of some localities have been made around 8 km away. Thus, polling was less in some pockets.”

Jasleen Kaur, a councillor, said, “Of the 140 houses in New Jawahar Nagar and Lajpat Nagar, at least 20 houses were found locked, but the names of the voters were on the list. At many places, only elderly couple lived, while their children migrated to another place.”

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, said, “Migration is certainly a big factor behind low poll percentage in Doaba. The number of voters who are NRIs may be more than 5 per cent. ASHA workers who go door-to-door to ensure 100 per cent vaccination, failed to cross 90 per cent mark.”

He said, “Deletion of votes cannot be a suo motu process. Information has to come from the family – be it in the case of the NRIs or dead persons. A family member has to fill up Form number 7 to get the votes deleted.”