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EC declines comment on Togadia`s complaint
New Delhi, Dec 12: The Election Commission today declined tocomment on VHP leader Praveenbhai Togadia`s claim that his name was missing from the electoral rolls of his constituency Sarkhej and said it has not received any complaints about large-scale deletion of voters` names from any political party or candidate.
New Delhi, Dec 12: The Election Commission today declined to
comment on VHP leader Praveenbhai Togadia`s claim that his name was missing from the electoral rolls of his constituency Sarkhej and said it has not received any complaints about large-scale deletion of voters` names from any political party or candidate.
Addressing a post-poll briefing here this evening, Deputy Election Commissioner A N Jha said he did not want to comment on Dr Togadia`s claim that he could not vote in the Gujarat Assembly elections today as his name was missing from the electoral rolls of the Sarkhej constituency in Ahmedabad. As for reports that thousands of names were missing from the electoral rolls in Maninagar constituency, from where caretaker Chief Minister Narendra Modi is contesting, Mr Jha said the commission had not received any formal complaint from anyone. ``The electoral rolls were available free of cost to political parties some time before the elections. None of them complained about any missing names. If some individual is now saying that his name was missing, I can only say that it is unfortunate,`` he added.
EC sources also pointed out that the electoral rolls had been finalised long before the names of candidates for the assembly elections were announced.
A report from Bhuj said names of about 10,000 to 12,000 voters were ``missing`` in the voters` lists, out of a total electorate of 58,500 in the quake-ravaged town. Thousands of voters in the Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad staged a demonstration and blocked traffic at Rambagh Circle when they found their names missing. Mr Modi later pacified the irate voters and urged them to file their complaint with the Election Commission. Similar reports were received from Vadodara, Amreli and other places.
Pravin Togadia, international secretary general of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), told on phone that names of all but six voters in his entire Vaibhav bungalows area were missing. And all these six voters, who cast their vote, were from the family of a Congress office-bearer, he alleged. He charged the Election Commission with ``manipulating`` voters` list to favour the Congress.
Bureau Report
Addressing a post-poll briefing here this evening, Deputy Election Commissioner A N Jha said he did not want to comment on Dr Togadia`s claim that he could not vote in the Gujarat Assembly elections today as his name was missing from the electoral rolls of the Sarkhej constituency in Ahmedabad. As for reports that thousands of names were missing from the electoral rolls in Maninagar constituency, from where caretaker Chief Minister Narendra Modi is contesting, Mr Jha said the commission had not received any formal complaint from anyone. ``The electoral rolls were available free of cost to political parties some time before the elections. None of them complained about any missing names. If some individual is now saying that his name was missing, I can only say that it is unfortunate,`` he added.
EC sources also pointed out that the electoral rolls had been finalised long before the names of candidates for the assembly elections were announced.
A report from Bhuj said names of about 10,000 to 12,000 voters were ``missing`` in the voters` lists, out of a total electorate of 58,500 in the quake-ravaged town. Thousands of voters in the Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad staged a demonstration and blocked traffic at Rambagh Circle when they found their names missing. Mr Modi later pacified the irate voters and urged them to file their complaint with the Election Commission. Similar reports were received from Vadodara, Amreli and other places.
Pravin Togadia, international secretary general of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), told on phone that names of all but six voters in his entire Vaibhav bungalows area were missing. And all these six voters, who cast their vote, were from the family of a Congress office-bearer, he alleged. He charged the Election Commission with ``manipulating`` voters` list to favour the Congress.
Bureau Report