Mumbai Voters Endure Frustrating Search for Names in Civic Polls
Voting in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other municipal elections turned into a major challenge for numerous citizens across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region on Thursday. Many people discovered their names were absent from the voter lists at their designated polling booths. This widespread issue forced countless individuals into a tiresome process of booth hopping, with a significant number ultimately returning home without casting their valuable vote.
Minister and Citizens Alike Face Voting Hurdles
Forest Minister Ganesh Naik himself experienced significant difficulties. He spent nearly an hour trying to locate his name and correct booth in Koparkhairane. The minister openly criticized the arrangements, labeling them a complete mess. Complaints poured in from all corners of the city throughout the day. Areas like Pali Hill in Bandra, Powai, Lalbaug, Mulund, Kalina, and Vasai-Virar all reported the same troubling pattern.
Voters arrived at their usual and expected polling stations only to find their names missing. They then traveled to multiple locations seeking answers, often receiving no clear guidance. A BMC official stated that voter slip distribution was largely completed before polling day. The official claimed civic teams managed to distribute slips to nearly 85 lakh of the over one crore registered voters. Remaining slips were supposedly kept available at the polling stations themselves.
The official suggested many slips could not be delivered because voters were simply not at home when staff visited. However, ground reports revealed a more complex and systemic problem.
Systemic Failures and Voter Confusion
Conversations with voters across Mumbai showed the issue extended far beyond missing slips. Problems included mismatched electoral lists and incorrect serial numbers. In Kandivli West, one family of four living together found themselves split across two different electoral wards. This administrative error caused unnecessary confusion and inconvenience.
Madhu Poplai of the Pali Hill Residents Association highlighted a common scenario. Voters from Blooming Heights and Anand Apartments could not locate their names at St Anne's School, their regular polling station. They later discovered their booth had been unexpectedly shifted to Chimbai, with no prior clear communication.
In Mulund, elderly voter Neelima Shelar made repeated trips to St Pius School trying to find her name on the list. The lack of information turned a civic duty into a stressful scavenger hunt for many.
Technical Glitches and Voter Ordeals
Nakul Dixit in Goregaon faced a peculiar situation. He found his name listed correctly on the official electoral roll online. However, his name was absent from the physical booth register at Stellar World School in Goregaon West. This discrepancy between digital and physical records added to the chaos.
Kurla resident Prasad Vishwanathan described a particularly harrowing experience. He was sent in circles between Sai Baba Mandir, a municipal ground, a municipal school, and Kedarnath Mandir. He finally learned the voter slip he carried contained outdated information. His correct booth was eventually located behind a large structure. Vishwanathan called the process pure harassment. He noted the ordeal worsened his existing back pain and would be especially punishing for the unwell and elderly.
Senior Citizens and First-Time Voters Disappointed
The flawed system disproportionately affected vulnerable groups. Senior citizens found it physically difficult to move from one polling booth to another. Many first-time voters, full of enthusiasm, had to return home disappointed and disenfranchised.
In Matunga, 86-year-old Prabha Shah holds great pride in never having missed an election in her life. On Thursday, she had to visit four different booths before finally locating her name at a municipal school. Her determination was tested by systemic failure.
First-time voters Fauzia Siddiqui and her cousin Shifa from Kalina went to vote at Saint Mary School. They could not find their names and were shuttled between various booths before ultimately returning home without voting. In Borivli West, 19-year-old Sneha Pardeshi visited multiple centers searching for her name, all without success.
List Errors and Political Reactions
The problems included serious administrative mix-ups. There were mismatches between voter names and serial numbers, along with instances of duplicate names appearing on lists. In Lalbaug, 59-year-old Sangeeta Shetye did not receive a voter slip. Her family discovered someone else's name listed against her serial number in the official register. It took them 45 frustrating minutes to locate her correct entry.
Dr. Shailesh Pol, a former Byculla resident, updated his address after moving to Lalbaug months ago. While his family's details appeared correctly online, his own name was missing from the physical booth register. This confusion led to heated scenes.
In Sewri's Ward No. 205, workers from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena stormed a polling booth. They alleged a voter was being blocked despite his details being clearly visible on the Election Commission's official website. Shiv Sena (UBT) worker Jaysingh Bhosale stated booth staff searched for over an hour before finally allowing the voter to cast his ballot.
Zonal officer Akshay Gaikwad commented on the situation. He noted many voters arrived with identity documents but without their slips. Some were even carrying serial numbers from previous assembly polls, which added to the mismatch and confusion at the booths.
Candidates Decry Poor Planning and Voter Apathy
Political candidates expressed deep concern over the chaotic process. Tulshiram Shinde, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Ward No. 40, argued the poor voter turnout was not due to public disinterest. He blamed it squarely on the voter list, which he called a complete mess.
Nirav Barot, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Ward No. 45, said voters were being taken for granted. People are doing rounds of polling stations in search of their names. They are frustrated and angry, he stated, capturing the public mood.
At the Aarey Picnic Point polling station, party workers reported officials had electoral rolls for only 800 voters, with the rest of the names missing entirely. BJP candidate Ujwala Modak claimed names of at least 300 voters were absent from the electoral list in her specific ward.
Widespread Issues Across the Metropolitan Region
The problems extended to the Vasai-Virar region as well. Voters there argued with booth-level officers as names repeatedly could not be traced. The core issue often appeared to stem from serial-number mismatches on the voter slips themselves. This forced citizens to visit multiple centers, spending an hour or more in the process before being allowed to vote.
Former Nalasopara corporator Dhananjay Gawade, contesting from Ward No. 16 on the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi symbol, made a serious allegation. He claimed booth staff were using outdated voter sheets from the previous assembly elections. This created serial-number mismatches that sent voters from booth to booth and back into long queues.
Gawade asserted the civic staff lacked updated software and current voter lists. Sushant Patil of the Bhumiputra Sanghatna supported this view. He said booth staff themselves admitted they had not received adequate training for the process. Patil claimed 70 to 80 voters in his area alone returned home without voting after failing to trace their names on the flawed lists.
The day's events highlighted significant gaps in election management and voter communication, turning a fundamental democratic exercise into a test of endurance for Mumbai's citizens.
