Nagpur: When Neeta, from Laxmi Nagar zone went to cast her vote early this morning with her aged parents – father 93 and mother 85 – she was shocked to not find their names not together in the same booth! They have voted from here since the last 25 years, her parents from the last 40, but somehow their names figure in different booths now.
Her parents both require walking sticks and are unsteady on their feet. They were never the less determined to vote but failed to do so.
With city temperature changing dramatically from a lingering winter to harsh summer, as it is citizens of the city were not very keen to go voting. Till noon this morning hardly 18% people had cast their votes though voting began early morning at 7 a.m.
And the tragedy is that those committed to their constitutional responsibility of voting, are being sorely disappointed once they reach their polling booths.
There is total confusion at polling centres since information received from local election authorities of voter number and booth is not matching the list at the booths! Families who have for years voted at one booth with consecutive numbers are finding their names distributed in different lists today.
A city journalist, Abhishek Choudhary says that there is a major goof up in electoral rolls of NMC elections with a complete mismatch between data of State Election Commission and the one with booth officials. He spent 90 minutes trying to find the right booth!
What’s worse is that his is not a case in isolation. Hundreds of others are facing a similar predicament and many are turning back without voting feeling disgusted and disappointed.
As word of this confusion is spreading people are now reluctant to step out for voting.
They would rather sit in the cool of their homes and enjoy a holiday!
