Thousands of voters in Ranchi constituency were stopped from exercising their franchise. Due to the absence of a proper mechanism to manage voter lists and discrepancies in the distribution of voters” slip, ensured that a vast majority of the electorate remained out of the purview of polling.The names were enrolled during the special drive conducted by the Election Commission in the second week of March, did not receive their photo ID cards. There were still others whose names were struck off possibly because the booth-level officers did not find them at home during verification or because they had shifted without prior notice.Vinay Choubey, Deputy Commissioner-cum-district election officer of Ranchi, said, “Around 4000 to 5000 names may have been deleted. That is very small number. At a time when the cards of more than 19 lakh people are being issued, such small errors are unavoidable and it is not such a big issue.”This apart, more than 50,000 people who were willing to cast their votes, were also deprived from voting as their names were not registered in the voter list nor did they get their voter card.?
