JD (U) alleges proxy voting in Saitu AC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 17 2012: Even though it has been 20 days since voting for the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly was held, there has been no let up in complaints about election malpractices and bogus voting with the latest complaint coming from Saitu AC.

Janata Dal (United) Manipur unit president M Tombi said that in polling station no 51/22 of Saitu AC, some voters were allowed to vote multiple times besides casting votes in the name of dead persons by affixing photographs of different persons against their electoral rolls.

Saying that these malpractices and discrepancies resulted from the failure of the concerned authority to check the electoral rolls in time, Tombi stated that his party would take the help of law Courts if the Election Commission of India could not fix responsibility and penalise the responsible officials.

Speaking to media persons here today, M Tombi claimed that one Khaikham who was enlisted in a particular serial number was also enrolled in serial nos 177 and 181 using the pseudonyms of Letkhongam and Kaikham respectively thereby enabling himself to vote thrice in 51/22 Pangmol-B polling station.

Again, one Kamneh who was enlisted against serial number 22 of the electoral roll was enlisted against serial numbers 613, 632 and 644 by using pseudonyms Kamtinsei, Hemmang and Lamthang but all these pseudonyms used the same photograph of Kamneh.

Thus Kamneh voted four times in Pangmol-B polling station.

In the same year, altogether 21 votes were cast in the same polling station by eight individuals by using different pseudonyms, Tombi alleged.

Moreover, it was allowed to change the names of dead persons whose names were still present in the electoral rolls.

By changing the names of persons who died almost a year back into different names, multiple votes were cast.

All these errors in the electoral rolls resulted from the failure of the concerned officials to make proper verification before the voters' lists were published.

The ECI should identify and punish those officials responsible for such gross error.

In case the ECI fails to take up necessary action, the JD (U) would be compelled to go to Court, Tombi said.

Exuding that all the errors and malpractices would be duly addressed, Tombi, however, maintained that there would be no end to the election process if re-poll must be held every time these is a complaint.

He also questioned whether the ECI would review the minimum expenditure ceiling for candidates which is at present Rs eight lakhs.

JD (U) candidate Saitu AC Semkholal Haokip remarked that excluding proxy votes from counting rather than going for re-poll can avoid wastage of both money and time.

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