Navi Mumbai Minister Faces Voting Hurdles, Criticizes Election Officials
Forest Minister Ganesh Naik encountered significant difficulties while trying to cast his vote in Koparkhairane, Navi Mumbai, on Thursday. He struggled to find his name in the electoral roll and locate the correct polling booth. The minister spent nearly an hour running from one booth to another before finally managing to vote.
Minister Slams Election Machinery
After voting, Naik expressed strong criticism of the election officials. He described the situation as a mess and voiced concerns about mismanagement by the election machinery. The minister told the media that if a government official faced such hardship in exercising his voting right, common citizens could experience even greater problems.
Naik said, "I think the election officials are under pressure or confused about how to discharge their duties properly." He emphasized the need for better organization and clarity in the voting process.
Confusion Over Polling Locations
The minister explained that his family had voted at RF Naik School in Koparkhairane for several years. However, the polling center later shifted to an NMMC-run CBSE school in the same area. Recently, they were informed it had moved again to St Mary's School in Koparkhairane.
Naik detailed his frustrating experience: "In the morning, we went to St Mary's School and there was a problem in finding our name at the booth. We were later told to go to the CBSE school, where we did not get our name in the electoral roll, which forced us to come back to St Mary's school again, where we cast our vote."
This back-and-forth movement between polling stations highlighted the confusion and inefficiency in the system. The incident raises questions about the preparedness of election authorities in Navi Mumbai.
Such problems during voting can discourage citizens from participating in the democratic process. Officials need to ensure smooth and accessible voting for everyone, including ministers and common people alike.
