HYDERABAD: Ahead of the crucial Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, about 40-odd valid electors, who reside in a residential complex at Himayatnagar have been served a notice by the GHMC regarding deletion of their names from the electoral list.
The reason: GHMC claims they have been absent from their houses for the last six months! This is just one instance, apparently, the corporation has sent thousands of such notices.
The civic body has denied any incidence of unconfirmed deletion of names.
The case in point is that of residents of Mythri Residency on street number 3, Himayatnagar which falls under Khairatabad constituency. The building houses 20 apartments and over 40 electors.
They were served the notice on June 8 under Rule 21 of Registration of Electors Rules 1960 and Section 22 of the Representation of Peoples Act 1950 that their names are going to be deleted on grounds of ceasing to be ordinarily residents of the constituency on June 18. The notice dated June 8 and signed by the Electoral Registration Officer for 60-Khairatabad Assembly Constituency, MSS Somaraju, also offered the recipients of notice to make their case, if any, before him on June 17, for any possible correction. However, the notice was served a day after the date of summons! Further, the notices that were meant to have been served to them personally, were handed over to the watchman’s uneducated wife.
Larger conspiracy?
The reason given was that they “have been found absent from the place of their ordinary residence as given in the electoral roll for for the last more than six months”.
N Venugopal Rao, a resident of the building, said there could be a larger conspiracy behind the false claim of absence of valid voters for deletion of names from the electoral list. “We have been living here for 11 years. Many of the women are housewives and no apartment has been left locked for even a day in the last six months. This could be a clearly devised strategy by those in power to rig the elections by deleting the valid electors and may be adding bogus ones,” he told Express.
GHMC officials, when contacted, categorically denied the same. “We have procedures in place for removal of duplicated entries as well as those who have moved out of their residences. It is a prescribed notice that our circle officers on the field serve after duly inspecting the residences at least three or four times,” said an official concerned, requesting anonymity.However, he said that the names deleted are constantly updated with political parties.
Rao, on the other hand, quoting his sources, said that the notices are being served to those who have not seeded their Aadhaar numbers with the electoral photo identity card (EPIC) at a time when the Supreme Court has stated that Aadhaar seeding was not mandatory. The GHMC official, admitting the same, added, “Aadhaar and EPIC seeding works are progressing. We have instructions and we are following them,” said the official.
Rao believes that similar deletion of valid electors from the list must have happened in several parts of the city. Another resident of the building, Radhaswamy, a software professional and his wife Chandra, who were served the notice, added that they did not really pay attention to what the notice really meant. “This appears to me as a clearly designed strategy by those in power to boost bogus voters. We were neither served the notice personally nor given sufficient time to submit our objections. The whole claim of our absence is a lie,” Rao’s wife Vanaja added.
Electoral Registration Officer for 60-Khairatabad Assembly Constituency, MSS Somaraju, said that such issues were purely due to absence of residents at the time of staff’s visit to enquire. “After data entry, computer generates the notice. Even in this case, we will do further enquiry and not delete the names,” he said.
Foolproof system!
GHMC Special Officer Somesh Kumar said: “We have a foolproof system. 7051 government employees are working as booth level officers. Issue of notice does not mean deletion of name and should not be seen as a unilateral deletion activity.” Former Congress minister Danam Nagender recently alleged manipulation of electoral rolls ahead of GHMC polls. Speaking to Express, he said: “It is the Andhra settlers’ names that are being removed as they are the deciding factor in GHMC polls. Before any addition or deletion in the list, it should be published. We will go to court if the GHMC commissioner fails to follow the rules”.
Issue at a glance
■ 20 apartments in a building
■ Served notice, dated June 8, on June 18. Summoned to appear before the undersigned on June 17
■ Aadhaar-EPIC seeding in progress in GHMC limits
■ 7051 government employees doubling as booth levels officers
