NEW DELHI: The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) election held on May 21 has come under scrutiny following allegations of multiple voting, inadequate voter verification and procedural lapses that may have compromised the integrity of the electoral process.
Concerns have been raised by candidates, voters and observers regarding voter identification, voting slip issuance, crowd management and other safeguards intended to ensure a fair election. It has also been alleged that some non-doctors may have participated in the voting process, raising questions about possible electoral malpractice.
According to accounts shared by individuals present at the polling venue, several administrative checks expected in a professional election process were either absent or inadequately implemented.
One of the primary concerns relates to the absence of a properly structured and segmented voter list. In elections involving a large electorate, voters are generally assigned to specific counters based on predefined divisions of the electoral roll. However, participants alleged that no such system was followed and voters were reportedly allowed to approach any of the kiosks set up for issuing voting slips.
Around ten kiosks were reportedly operational for slip distribution. Observers alleged that due to the absence of real-time coordination between kiosks, individuals could potentially obtain multiple voting slips against the same name or registration number.
“Around 2 or 3 pm we realised a lot of people were voting twice or thrice because computers were not connected and people were getting their slips made two or three times,” said Dr Neelam Lekhi, President, Delhi Medical Council. “They have voted around 500–1000 fake votes,” she alleged.
Another major concern relates to voter identity verification. Several participants claimed that identity card checks were discontinued later in the day, reportedly after 1 pm to 2 pm. It was also alleged that the ink used during voting was not indelible and could be removed easily.
As a result of these alleged lapses, observers claimed that individuals other than registered medical practitioners may have been able to cast votes. It was further alleged that a person could obtain a voting slip by presenting another doctor’s Delhi Medical Council registration number.
