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Download PDF The field-level task of updating the voter list ended yesterday with many eligible voters remaining left out. The number of voters is now over 9.14 crore, one lakh more than the nullified draft voter list published on May 3.
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday at a meeting decided not to extend time for the field-level task ahead of the next parliamentary elections due to time constraints. It also decided not to initiate steps to demarcate the constituencies as the last census report was yet to be published.
Asked about the EC’s stance on the field-level task, the Secretary to the EC Secretariat Abdur Rashid Sarkar in a press briefing said, “The commission is neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with it. The EC has just been informed about the overall situation.”
Neither the chief election commissioner (CEC) nor any other election commissioners were present in the briefing.
The secretary claimed they have satisfied the political parties by updating the voter list.
Meanwhile, reports from different areas claimed many eligible voters were not listed as the temporarily appointed EC staffs failed to visit their homes.
The EC secretary however said they would take special measures if they found large number of eligible voters left out of the list. “We have successfully completed the task and only five percent voters may remain out of the list,” he claimed.
He said one could register oneself as a voter any time before the next parliamentary elections by visiting the local election offices.
The secretary said according to last Saturday’s figures, a total of 1.63 crore people have applied for inclusion of their names while 23.74 lakh people applied for deletion of names from the existing voter list.
The number of voters now stands over 9.14 crore after adding and deducting the number of applications for inclusion and deletion.
The number may rise further as the applications received on the last day of updating the list were not taken up for execution.
The nullified draft voter list published on May 3 this year had 9.13 crore voters which triggered an enormous controversy over the unusual rise in the number of voters.
The EC has not checked the authenticity of applications received by the field-level EC staffs while visiting door to door from July 21 till yesterday.
Apart from duplicate names, allegations against allowing under-age people to apply have been made in many areas.
The field-level staff starts compiling the information received in applications from today. They are supposed to complete the compilation by August 26.
After that the updated list would be kept on display for public inspection for three days.
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