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EC trims AP voters` list
Hyderabad, Mar 04: The Lok Sabha election in India has been described as the world`s largest administrative exercise. But even before the elections are held, the Election Commission (EC) has its hands full, working, for example, on removing 93 lakh bogus voters from the voters list in Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad, Mar 04: The Lok Sabha election in India has been described as the world's largest administrative exercise. But even before the elections are held, the Election Commission (EC) has its hands full, working, for example, on removing 93 lakh bogus voters from the voters list in Andhra Pradesh.
The commission officials went door-to-door to verify voters. And after elaborate checks, as many as 93 lakh bogus voters were weeded out bringing the total number of voters in the list from 72 per cent of the population to 66 per cent.
However, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) says genuine voters have been wrongly excluded.
"The revision has been indiscriminate in certain places and eligible voters have been deleted," claimed U Venkateswaralu, TDP leader.
The ruling party argues that because of the successful family planning programme in the state, the number of people above 18 years is high compared to other states.
But the Opposition says the ruling Telugu Desam's desperation now stands exposed. "Telugu Desam wanted to enrol as many bogus voters as possible and manipulate the election," said Y S Rajashekhar Reddy, Congress leader.
However, Observers say all political parties are guilty. In fact, after the assembly was dissolved in November last year, there was a rush and 54 lakh new-voter applications were filed.
But more than 50 per cent of them were found invalid, bogus or non-existent. Deletion of such a huge number of names in the revised voters' list is unprecedented anywhere in the country.
And, but for the commendable job by the EC, the forthcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh would have become a farce. Bureau Report
The commission officials went door-to-door to verify voters. And after elaborate checks, as many as 93 lakh bogus voters were weeded out bringing the total number of voters in the list from 72 per cent of the population to 66 per cent.
However, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) says genuine voters have been wrongly excluded.
"The revision has been indiscriminate in certain places and eligible voters have been deleted," claimed U Venkateswaralu, TDP leader.
The ruling party argues that because of the successful family planning programme in the state, the number of people above 18 years is high compared to other states.
But the Opposition says the ruling Telugu Desam's desperation now stands exposed. "Telugu Desam wanted to enrol as many bogus voters as possible and manipulate the election," said Y S Rajashekhar Reddy, Congress leader.
However, Observers say all political parties are guilty. In fact, after the assembly was dissolved in November last year, there was a rush and 54 lakh new-voter applications were filed.
But more than 50 per cent of them were found invalid, bogus or non-existent. Deletion of such a huge number of names in the revised voters' list is unprecedented anywhere in the country.
And, but for the commendable job by the EC, the forthcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh would have become a farce. Bureau Report