Karnataka: Congress objects to deletion of voters’ names

MANGALURU: While names of nearly 44,000 voters were removed from the electoral roll due to several reasons, including deaths and shifting of residences, the Congress in Dakshina Kannada has raised objections and launched a drive to ensure that all genuine voters get the right to vote.
Mangaluru MLA UT Khader said nearly 16,000 names are missing from the list in the constituency. “We have been going through the draft voters’ list published on November 9. Booth level officers have been given the right to remove the names. Many eligible voters’ names have also been removed.
The Election Commission should ensure that every single voter should be given the right to franchise. They should not delete the names just because a person temporarily is not found staying in the address. Officials should not deny the right of an individual to vote while deleting the names from the list,” he said.
District Congress Committee president and MLC K Harish Kumar said the party has already launched a booth level campaign to check the voters’ list. “We have been circulating the draft voters’ list among our village level committees. Party workers have been directed to check the voters’ list and create awareness to add voters, whose names are removed from the list, back to the list. Names of many voters, who were not in station during officials’ visit, have been removed,” he said.
Deputy commissioner Ravi Kumar M R said the names of voters, who are not residing at the address for a long period, those who have shifted to other districts and those who died have been deleted from the electoral roll. Names of 73,783 voters in eight assembly segments of Dakshina Kannada have been removed from the voters’ list.
Meanwhile, 29,410 new voters were added to the list. People may submit their objections regarding the deletion of names from the voters’ list and request for their right to franchise till December 8. In addition, special voters’ enrolment drives will also be held on November 20, December 3 and 4, the DC said. The number of voters in the district has reduced from 17,53,328 on January 13, 2022 to 17,08,955 as on November 9, 2022.