New Delhi: Singer-music composer Amit Trivedi said Monday that he was unable to cast his vote during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls in Mumbai. He expressed his disappointment in a video post on social media platform X, where he mentioned that his name was missing from the voters’ list.
In the video, Trivedi narrated his experience of being turned away from the polling booth despite having his voter ID and Aadhaar card in place. He said, “The moment I reached the booth, I showed them the receipt. You can see the number 1080 on it, which has been crossed out by the officer. This was given to me by the officers present outside.”
Voting is our constitutional right. Today I was denied that right and I feel helpless
Did this happen to anyone else? How.. and why?? #elections pic.twitter.com/1K8z0XdIFD
— Amit Trivedi (@ItsAmitTrivedi) May 20, 2024
He added that he was informed inside the booth that the number 1080 was not present. He was then instructed to return to the spot where he had collected the receipt and after waiting in a queue for about 30 minutes, he was told, “Sorry, nahi hai, sir. You can’t vote.” His name was not on the voters’ list.
He also claimed that about 200-300 people at the booth went back “disappointed” because they were unable to vote.
“Voting is our constitutional right. Today, I was denied that right, and I feel helpless,” he wrote on X.
Thirteen constituencies from Maharashtra, including six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai, went to the polls in the fifth phase Monday. Several Bollywood celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Hema Malini, were seen outside their respective polling booths.
However, Trivedi was not the only one. Actress Vidya Malavade was also unable to cast her vote, and took to social media to share her experience. She said that even though she hadn’t received her voter ID card, she took her Aadhaar card with her to vote, accompanied by her elderly parents.
“This is really upsetting. I have tried to fill out so many forms… I don’t know what to do… My mother’s name was there, my father’s name was there, I don’t know why my name was not there,” she said, teary-eyed, in the video post.
Malavade also claimed that many voters were allowed to vote with Aadhaar cards, countering a comment on her post that Aadhaar could not have sufficed.
Many commented on Trivedi’s X post, too, asking why he didn’t check his EPIC number before heading to vote on the Election Commission’s Voters’ Service Portal. Voters can look up their names on EC’s online portal using their voter ID number.
Trivedi then clarified in a follow-up post, “I have seen your replies here. Just to make it clear, all the online due diligence and checking were done in advance. Another family member and I were in the correct booth, one got to vote and the other didn’t.”
I have seen your replies here. Just to make it clear, all the online due diligence and checking was done in advance. Another family member and I were in the correct booth, one got to vote and the other didn’t.
— Amit Trivedi (@ItsAmitTrivedi) May 20, 2024
Earlier in the day, another celebrity, Gauahar Khan, had also posted a story on her Instagram account, claiming that she wasn’t allowed to cast her vote initially as her name was not present on the list.
“I have an appeal. Why do we have Aadhar cards, if we are not considered citizens enough to vote? Your Aadhar card is your identity that you are an Indian citizen, and you should be able to vote with that,” she said.
A few minutes later, however, she shared that she was eventually allowed to vote.
The average voter turnout of about 54 percent was recorded across 13 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra during the fifth phase Monday. Media reports suggested that many voters complained about the slow pace of voting in Mumbai.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)