Bhubaneswar, Nov 11 (PTI) The opposition BJD has sought a clarification from the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of people living in the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border villages having names in the electoral rolls of the two states.
The issue was raised by the BJD at an all-party meeting held at the CEO’s office recently, BJD senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said on Wednesday.
“We have sought clarification from the Odisha CEO on the matter of dual voter registration of certain people living in Koraput and Malkangiri districts. How could the people have names in the electoral rolls of two states even after the SIR,” Mishra asked.
The BJD leader said that the matter came to the fore during the rural polls in Andhra Pradesh on November 5, where a number of people from Kotia region under Pottangi block in Koraput cast their votes in the neighbouring state. Many residents of Jumdang village in Chitrakonda block of Malkangiri district also possess voter ID cards of the two states.
Stating that under the provision of the law, one individual cannot be registered as a voter at two different places, within the state or outside it, Mishra said, “We asked the CEO to seek information from the Andhra Pradesh government regarding how many voters from Odisha had cast their votes in the Andhra Pradesh elections.”
He also questioned why Andhra Pradesh had not removed fake voters from its electoral rolls despite clear violations of rules and regulations.
BJD general secretary Bijay Nayak also criticised the ‘double-engine’ government over the issue.
The BJD leader said that the final electoral roll published on September 21 contained 3.16 crore voters.
“However, at the meeting held between the election officials and representatives of all political parties on November 8, it was revealed that the number of voters had increased by three lakh. Such a significant increase in the number of voters within such a short period raises serious questions,” Nayak said. PTI AAM AAM RG
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