Dead too in voters’list

The New Indian Express, Aug 25, 2008

BHAWANIPATNA: With the filing of nomination for urban body polls, election fever has gripped the urban pockets of Kalahandi. For Bhawanipatna municipality 48,031 voters will cast their votes in 20 wards. The chairman post is reserved for SC (women). For Kesinga NAC, 12,014 voters will exercise their franchise in 12 wards. Here the chairman seat is reserved for OBC. For Junagarh NAC, 12,234 voters will cast their votes in 12 wards and the chairman post is reserved for OBC.

But large number of errors have crept into the voters’ list. At least names of 700 dead persons have found place in the list while names of several genuine voters have been deleted. Also there are names of some bogus voters in the list, it is alleged.

In the months of April and May there was a door-to-door campaign by teachers to rectify the voters’ list. However, the corrections could not be carried out in the computer system.

A seat-sharing formula has been worked out by BJD-BJP. BJP and BJD have agreed to contest in 12 and eight seats respectively in Bhawanipatna while in Junagarh and Kesinga BJP and BJD will field cadidates in seven and five seats each. The Congress has decided to contest all the seats alone.