BMC polls hit by confusion as Mumbaikars complain of booth changes, missing names

• Many Mumbai voters faced confusion due to booth changes and missing names
• Poorly printed voter lists and mismatched records caused verification issues
• 29.22% voter turnout reported till 1:30 pm in Maharashtra civic polls

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Several voters in Mumbai who arrived at polling booths to cast their vote in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections returned disappointed after either finding their names missing from the voter list or change in booths without prior information.

Even election staff and party functionaries, on the other side of the poll process, found common ground with the segment of disgruntled voters, with many claiming the list given to them had poorly printed photographs, making verification tiresome, according to PTI.

Expressing frustration, a voter told news agency ANI that the voter number available online did not match the records at the booth. “This is an organisational failure. I have to go back without casting my vote. My building itself has a polling booth, but my name was not there. I came to another booth hoping to vote, but now I will have to return,” he was quoted by ANI as saying.

The voter added that there was widespread confusion at the polling station. “Different people are giving different information. Some officials are saying one thing, others are saying something else. Many voters are confused,” he said.

Several others asserted similar concerns, saying they too were heading back home without voting as their details did not match the electoral rolls.

Many voters said their polling booths of years had been changed or merged without adequate prior information, while some were seen running around from one helpdesk to another trying to find their names on the rolls. Several polls stations across the country's financial capital were witness to such commotion, especially during the morning hours.

"In the last two elections, we cast our vote at a polling booth opposite Kalachowki police station. But this time it has been shifted far away to a BMC parking facility. I also struggled to find my name in the supplementary list," Kalachowki resident Sanjay Shinde was quoted by PTI.

A Shiv Sena functionary from Parel claimed several persons could not cast their votes early in the day as they went to their usual polling stations only to learn that the booths had been shifted. Many of them left for work without voting, he added.

In several cases, residents from the same building were assigned different polling stations located far apart. In some places, polling staff were seen assisting voters in tracing their assigned booths.

"I have been voting in the area since 2009 but for the first time found my name has also appeared in the list in Dindoshi (in the Goregaon-Malad belt) where I previously lived. Election officials came to my house last month and took a written declaration that Dindoshi was my earlier address and that I have shifted to Vile Parle. However, the double asterisk still remained next to my name," a Vile Parle resident said.

He added that after showing the form he had filled earlier, officials asked him to submit another form and then allowed him to vote.

Meanwhile, a retired professor took an unusual step by submitting a list of four voters from her building to the G-North ward returning officer in Dadar, urging officials to remain alert against possible impersonation attempts.

Speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, the 84-year-old said these four persons were currently abroad and expressed concern that someone might attempt to cast bogus votes in their names.

The Returning Officer (RO) confirmed receiving her request and said a photograph of the submission had been shared with the polling officer, who would take appropriate measures if required.

Civic polls to 29 municipal corporations, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are underway in Maharashtra. As much as 29.22 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots till 1.30 pm in elections to 29 municipal corporations, the State Election Commission said.