On UP voter list: 'Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara, s/o Murkh Chandra Yadav'

LUCKNOW: From a voter named ‘Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara’, with ‘Murkh Chandra Yadav’ recorded as the father, to ‘B Com’ and ‘Ram Ne Sharma Ko Mara’ listed as the fathers of two other electors, bizarre entries in the electoral rolls for Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council polls have raised questions over the accuracy and verification of voter records.As controversy erupted over such entries in Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’ constituency, UP CEO Navdeep Rinwa Thursday said fewer than 150 voters had been identified with incorrectly printed names or parental details among 14.8 lakh registered electors, accounting for less than 0.01% of the electorate. Defending the newly introduced online poll roll preparation system, Rinwa said that, for the first time in the state, the entire process for Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies had been conducted digitally, replacing the earlier district-level manual system.

Electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh have reported unusual entries that have sparked concerns over their accuracy

The online platform was developed by the election office’s IT team with technical assistance within four months. It incorporates voter registration, application processing, approval, rejection, duplication checks, serialisation and electoral roll downloads.However, Rinwa’s statement didn’t explain how unusual entries passed verification or whether errors originated in applications, data entry or subsequent processing.During a virtual meeting with ROs and poll officials, Rinwa acknowledged complaints from parties and on social media about errors in voters’ names and their relatives’ names. He directed officials to ensure no eligible voter was denied voting rights due to clerical or printing errors.