Mystery of Maharashtra’s ‘Missing Voters’: BJP Knocks on Chief Election Commissioner’s Door, Seeks Probe

A BJP delegation from Maharashtra met Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in Delhi on Wednesday, demanding a thorough investigation into many people complaining of their names being missing from the voter list during the April-June Lok Sabha elections.

The delegation included Bharatiya Janata Party state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar, MPs Sanjay Dhotre and Hemant Savara, and former MP Kirit Somaiya. The meeting lasted nearly an hour.

The delegation highlighted several issues, notably the errors in the voter registration process even as assembly elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held around November. The BJP pointed out technical difficulties related to voters’ photos, addresses, and names during registration. A detailed report on the voter registration campaign was presented to the CEC.

Shelar shared insights from the meeting, stating that the booth formation was progressing quickly in about 1,100 housing societies in Mumbai. A voter registration drive has been announced, extending the registration period until July 25. At the delegation’s request, the commissioner agreed to extend this period by another seven days, making the new deadline August 2. This is expected to benefit many voters.

The delegation also addressed the serious issue of missing voter names from the 2024 elections list. These voters had exercised their franchise in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but found their names missing this year, preventing them from voting. This problem is particularly significant in Maharashtra, said the BJP. The delegation pressed for a thorough investigation to uncover how and why these names disappeared and who might be responsible.

The Chief Election Commissioner responded favourably to the concerns raised by the delegation. Shelar urged voters to verify that their names, identity proofs, and photographs are correctly included in the voters’ list to avoid such issues in future.