Fresh concerns about electoral integrity have emerged in Mumbai as residents uncover significant discrepancies in the draft voter list prepared for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Following similar complaints from Mulund, Kurla residents have now identified a major misclassification affecting thousands of voters.
Massive Voter Misclassification in Kurla
RTI activist and Kurla resident Anil Galgali has brought to light a serious error in the electoral roll affecting 6,834 voters in Kurla's L Ward. According to Galgali's findings, these voters have been incorrectly listed under Ward 163 despite geographically falling within the boundaries of Ward 162.
In his formal letter to the L Ward assistant commissioner, Galgali attributed this large-scale misclassification to errors during the recent delimitation exercise. He emphasized that such significant mapping errors could compromise the accuracy and fairness of the upcoming civic elections, potentially affecting electoral outcomes.
"The geographical location clearly places these voters in Ward 162, but the draft roll shows them in Ward 163. This is not a minor error but a substantial discrepancy that needs immediate correction," Galgali stated in his communication with civic authorities.
BMC's Response and Verification Drive
In response to the growing concerns, the BMC has initiated a comprehensive door-to-door verification campaign to identify and rectify errors in the draft voter list. The civic body confirmed that official communications will soon be dispatched to chairpersons and secretaries of housing societies across affected areas to ensure full cooperation with the verification process.
The BMC has appealed to all citizens and housing society representatives to actively cooperate with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and election staff who will be visiting homes for verification purposes. This scrutiny forms part of the broader preparations ahead of the much-anticipated BMC elections.
Mulund's Parallel Voter List Issues
The Kurla incident follows similar complaints raised last week in Mulund, where advocate Sagar Devre, who plans to contest the upcoming civic elections, exposed what he described as a "voters list scam" in Ward 106 (Mulund East).
Devre's investigation revealed 336 duplicate entries within the Ward 106 list itself, with the same individuals registered twice. Additionally, he identified several entries that actually belong to the neighboring Ward 105, including an entire building incorrectly listed in both wards.
Perhaps more concerning were Devre's findings about deceased and migrated voters still appearing on the rolls. "A resident who passed away 15 years ago still has his name on the list. There are many more such cases," Devre revealed. He also cited the example of a resident who settled in Israel two decades ago and is now serving in the Israeli army, yet remains registered as a voter in Mumbai.
According to Devre's analysis, Ward 106 currently shows 44,037 registered voters, but if deceased individuals and those who have permanently migrated abroad are removed, the actual count could drop to approximately 5,000 voters, raising serious questions about the list's integrity.
These back-to-back revelations from different parts of Mumbai have sparked concerns about the overall reliability of the electoral preparation process. With the BMC elections crucial for the city's governance, activists and potential candidates are demanding thorough verification and immediate correction of all identified errors to ensure a fair democratic process.
