Congress flags to EC discrepancies in electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh, seeks clean lists

The Congress on Friday raised before the Election Commission the issue of duplication in electoral rolls in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. The poll panel, on its part, disclosed that it has already removed 11 lakh duplicate names in a bid to present a clean voters' list.

A delegation of Congress leaders met the Election Commission and presented copies of records showing duplications in electoral rolls in different districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Following the meeting, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha told reporters that the commission informed them that around 11 lakh duplicate names have been removed and the electoral rolls corrected.

He added that the Election Commission has authorised chief electoral officers in states and district electoral officers to entertain complaints of discrepancies at their own end and correct the lists.

The Congress delegation presented the poll panel with statistics pertaining to 43 districts on how, within the same constituency, there is a duplication of voters.

"The Election Commission was very positive … we told the commission that we want a neat and clean voters' list and the Election Commission told us that they have done 11 lakh deletion of duplications," Takha told reporters.

"We urged the Election Commission to direct chief electoral officers and district electoral officers to take up this duplication (issue) at their level and clean up the electoral rolls. We are satisfied with today's meeting," he said.

The Congress leader said there is no difference between the political parties and the Election Commission on the issue and added "we want that there should be a pure and clean voters' list" and the poll panel has given its assurance on it.

"We had approached the Election Commission in September and they provided us statistics and data on correction of voters' lists. They gave us the liberty that the state electoral officers and district electoral officers can take up the issue and authorised them to take action on their part and we can also approach them," the Congress leader said.

Asked about the announcement of women's reservation in the elections, Tankha said, 'Any declaration before the election announcement is a "jumla (empty promise)' and we do not react to such declarations."