Lok Sabha Elections 2019: ‘Missing in action’ count lower in Pune this year

According to the Pune election commission office, 35 complaints of missing names were registered this year, in comparison to at least 10,000 cases reported in the 2014 elections

Cases of missing names from the voters’ list reported in Pune constituency on Tuesday was a lot less as compared to the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. According to the Pune election commission office, 35 complaints of missing names were registered this year, in comparison to at least 10,000 cases reported in the 2014 elections.

Cases of missing names from the voters’ list reported in Pune constituency on Tuesday was a lot less as compared to the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. (HT PHOTO)

“We received complaints from 30-35 people from the Cantonment area, regarding missing names in the voters’ list. Of those, we were able to locate seven-eight names on the list. We will investigate as to what happened to the rest,” said Naval Kishore Ram, Pune district collector.

“We received 136 complaints on the helpline number 1950 from the Cantonment area. Instead of the usual four, we only had two people manning the line,” said an official responsible for answering the helpline calls.

The help centre set up at BJ Medical grounds near Pune police commissioner’s office, saw people show up with queries regarding their names on the voters’ list.

Dilip Page, a 69-year-old resident of Nalini apartment, Agarkarnagar, said, “I have been voting since the past 50 years. I own a house here, and my name has always been on the list, except for this year. I want to know why my name has disappeared.”

“The government wants 100 per cent turn out, but removes our names from the list. Those who come out to vote are unable to, and they want maximum participation,” said Change Page, 63.

Haresh Shantilal Shah, 60, a resident of Bibvewadi is a registered voter from Nana peth. “I used to reside in Nana peth earlier and own a shop there. Including my wife, 22 people from the area were unable to vote, as their names failed to appear on the list,” said Shah, who registered a verbal complaint at the help desk.

Malkhamsingh Najarsingh Chauhan, 81, who was unable to find his name on the voters’ list, sat at the help desk asking for a solution. He went to vote with his family in the morning. While the names of his wife and son appeared on the list, his daughter-in-law and him were unable to find their names on the list.

“As our names failed to appear on the voters’ list in the Lok Sabha 2014 elections as well, election officials came over and took our pictures so that the incident did not happen again. However, our names failed to appear on this year’s list as well,” said Vandana Chauhan,38, Malkhamsingh’s daughter-in-law.