LUCKNOW The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has sought an explanation from the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission authorities over the omission of 138 names from the final voter list in Amethi, despite their inclusion in the draft electoral roll and without notice to the persons concerned.
The petitioners submitted that their names had figured in the electoral rolls for nearly a decade and were also included in the draft list. However, the names were omitted from the final electoral roll without prior notice to them, they alleged. The petitioners also claimed that their complaints were not addressed despite a survey by booth level officers (BLOs). The state sought time to examine the matter and obtain instructions.
A bench of Justice Jaspreet Singh passed the direction while hearing a writ petition filed by 138 residents of Gopalpur village under Mahmoodpur Benipur gram panchayat in Amethi district. The villagers had been alleging that around 200 living people were missing from the final voter list, while the names of around 50 deceased persons continued to figure in it, according to media reports. The matter is now listed for October 29.
The court questioned how the names could be removed at the stage of final publication despite their inclusion in the earlier rolls and the draft list, particularly without notifying the persons concerned.
