Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Phase 5: Missing Names from Voters’ List Leave Many Unable to Vote in Belapur and Airoli

Several voters from the Belapur and Airoli assembly constituencies, under the Thane Lok Sabha constituency, complained that they could not exercise their franchise as their names were missing from the voters' list. In some cases, the names of entire families were missing.

Gopal Saha, a resident of Air India Colony in Nerul, said that while his son and wife's names were on the list, his name was deleted. "I was shocked when I came in the morning to cast my vote. How can the name of one member of a family go missing?" Saha asked. He added that they used to vote at the polling station located at St. Xavier’s in Sector-3, Nerul.

Saha was not alone. A woman at Shirvane School in Nerul Sector-1 found that the names of five members of her family were deleted. Despite speaking with representatives from political parties and the Election Commission, her family could not cast their votes.

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At the same polling station, another voter found his and his wife’s names missing, while his mother’s name was still on the list.

A representative of the Election Commission of India present at the Nerul polling station said that only those whose names are on the list would be allowed to cast their votes. "If there is a problem with identity proof, we can assist, but the name must be present on the list," said the official. He suggested that all those whose names were missing should get updated before the assembly election.

A senior citizen at the Amrita Vidyalaya polling station in Jui Nagar found his name was missing. Surprisingly, he discovered his name at another polling station. "My name was found at D.Y. Patil Centre," he stated.

The Election Commission had conducted a special drive to update names on the voters' list. It also set up special camps and temporary centers in Nerul and Airoli for the Belapur and Airoli constituencies.