pmc & pcmc election 2017 ... Appeal for status quo on voter sequence

Appeal for status quo on voter sequence

The Political Research and Analysis Bureau, an independent research organisation in Pune, has written to the State Election Commission to not change the sequence of numbers in the voters' list as it would create confusion among voters.

A letter has been forwarded to the SEC as many political parties, which have bought the list for Rs 3000 from the election office, would again have to buy a fresh list if the sequence is changed.

The existing sequence is as per the numbers that appeared in the list during the assembly and Lok Sabha elections. For example, if a voter has a serial number then he she has to keep that number in mind when heshe approaches the polling booth. These numbers have now changed with the change in serial number.

The organisation in its letter has written that in the voters list of the municipal corporation, zilla parishad, panchayat samiti, the political parties and candidates had printed the list ahead of the filing of nominations and reached out to the voters as per the panel number. “Now with the new serial number, the voters will again have to be intimated about the new number as they would appro ach the polling booth with the old number in the list which would create confusion about the polling booth,'' stated PRAB head Chandrakant Bhujbal in his letter.

He requested the SEC to keep the earlier list and, if it is not possible to do so due to some reasons, steps should be taken to inform the voters about the same. The new list should be made available everywhere, at the offices of political parties and candidates so that they can create necessary awareness and reach out to the voters.

When the SEC authorities were contacted by TOI, they said they would address the issue and take necessary steps to create awareness among voters regarding the same.

Meanwhile, party workers who have been feverishly distributing voters' slips are stumped. “We had the earlier list and were issuing the slip as per the earlier numbers. If there are new numbers we would have to re-do the entire list,'' stated a party worker.

Many candidates had even made use of new softwares and applications to help search voters names. “We would have to get the new list and this would take time,'' he said. Sources in the party office said that it is duplication of work and the SEC should have not given new serial numbers at such a short notice.

PRAB has also stated in its letter that with the sudden change there could be confusion among voters which could lead voters to refrain from exercising their franchise and affect the voting percentage. “If the SEC is concerned about improving voting percentage, it should ensure that there is least confusion over the voter list,'' said Bhujbal.

publish pune city .. Times of India dt- 12 feb. 2017 page 4. 

Feb 12 2017 : The Times of India (Pune)