Several voters in the Kalyan West Assembly Constituency, part of the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency, have voiced severe anguish and outrage after being deprived of their fundamental right to vote. Complaints have surfaced regarding the wrongful removal of many voters' names from the electoral rolls in Kalyan West.
According to these voters, who waited for 2-3 hours at the polling station, the Election Commission of India has directly struck off their names from the voters' list without any prior individual intimation. Some voters have stated that despite having exercised their franchise in previous state and general assembly elections, they have been denied the right to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“I waited at the voting center for 2.5 hours. Just a month ago, I underwent major surgery. We believe it is our responsibility to vote and have come here despite the summer heat. However, the EC officials are not allowing us to vote. They are telling us that our names have been deleted,” said a voter to LokmatTimes.com.
Another woman voter expressed, “The list contains the names of a few people who are deceased but omits us. How can this happen? I have come here all the way from Badlapur to vote at Vasant Valley in Kalyan West. We have been roaming here and there for an hour.”
“More than 200 people have returned from the booth. Senior citizens are facing a lot of problems because they were kept waiting,” said a voter named Jotiram Jawale.
This situation has left numerous voters disheartened and aggrieved, and they have demanded that the election machinery take cognizance of the issue. Experts opine that such errors in the voters' list can have adverse consequences on the democratic process.
The instances of voters' names being removed have raised questions about the election process, and there are growing demands for the Election Commission to immediately address the matter and take appropriate action.