Nagpur residents are expressing frustration and confusion over unexpected changes in the voter list for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections. Despite no alterations in residential addresses and confirmation from the updated ward map, numerous families discovered their names transferred to different prabhags or wards. This situation has left many annoyed and bewildered.
Families Split Across Different Wards
Bizarre scenarios emerged, such as a father and son living in the same house being assigned to separate prabhags for voting. In Prabhag 9, residents reported that dozens of families were forced to vote for candidates in Prabhag 7 after their names were shifted there, even though they continued to reside in their original homes.
Personal Stories Highlight the Confusion
Paul Swami shared his experience. "I got to vote in No. 9 while my father Vijaykant Swami's polling centre was allotted in Prabhag 7. We initially faced issues locating the booth as well. We went to Prabhag 7 to vote, but did not know any of the candidates. There was a long queue as well. So, my father returned without voting. There were around 60-70 voters who countered the same problem."
Vaibhavi Polade, a 21-year-old first-time voter, said the prabhag shift impacted new voters the most. "I was genuinely excited to participate in the election process. I am a resident of Jaitala, which falls in Prabhag 38. I had assumed my booth would be located within or close to my area. But I later found out that my polling booth had been assigned in Prabhag 36. As a first-time voter, the experience was confusing and disappointing. I was not able to vote as the candidates in Prabhag 36 were unknown faces for me."
Online Search Adds to the Problem
Another voter mentioned that the official online search only deepened the confusion. Several voters, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated, "I checked my details on the MahaSec voter list link provided by the NMC, and it showed that my polling booth was located in Prabhag 38, whereas I am from Prabhag 36. Even workers of a political party told me that now nothing could be done. Since my family members had already voted at their booths, I decided to skip voting."
Prabhag 8 resident Ifran Qureshi found his name in the voters list of Prabhag 19. "I don't even know the candidates there, how do I make a choice," he questioned.
Long-Time Voters Affected Too
Advocate Manish Swami, who always voted at the Bhola school under Prabhag 9, faced a change this time. "But this time the centre was at Swastik high school which comes under Prabhag 7. I am 50 now, but this happened for the first time. I went to the booth and signed ‘Under protest'. At least 700-800 voters from my prabhag abstained from voting due to the same issue," he claimed.
Root Cause of the Voter List Issues
A state government employee, requesting anonymity, linked the problem to the preparation and updating of the lists. "Voter lists drawn from assembly polls were 'shortened' for the civic polls, and even a minor relocation of a name to a booth 'just across the road' could change the prabhag for that voter," the employee explained.
The employee pointed out that Prabhag 19 falls on the other side of the narrow Nalasahab road running through Mominpura, illustrating how a boundary line can reshape a voter's ballot. "Some voters in Prabhag 19 found their names in Prabhag 8. I could not find my name in any of the prabhags," the employee added.
Lack of Verification Proves Costly
Many affected citizens admitted they did not verify the draft electoral rolls, assuming their details were correct based on past elections. One voter said, "In 2024, we voted for two major elections and our names were there, hence we did not check it again." Citizens noted this assumption proved costly, especially where roll changes intersected with prabhag boundaries and voter awareness was low.
Political Parties Demand Inquiry
Political parties across the spectrum have called for an investigation, arguing they lost dedicated voters due to the roll shifts. BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari criticized the civic officials, stating they did not prepare the voter list properly.
The confusion has led to a significant number of voters abstaining from the electoral process, raising concerns about the integrity of the election system in Nagpur.
