200 voters turn up at Bhergaon polling booth to find themselves ‘dead’

BHERGAON: About 200 voters were deprived of their voting right at Deosunga Nava Milon LP School polling station due to errors in the electoral role of Tamulpur constituency of Baksa district that went to polls in the third phase of Assam assembly elections today.

Voters who were not allowed to vote said their names were there in the electoral role, but were marked as “deleted”, a term used for dead voters.

“I have got my voter identity card a year ago and casted my vote during the (Bodoland Territorial Council) election last year. My name is there in the voters’ list. But, it is marked deleted. I am told I cannot cast my vote. I am quite disappointed. I came with a lot of expectations,” said 19-year-old Urmila Prasad.

ALSO READ: Just In: Assam Records 68.31% Voter Turnout Till 4 Pm

Not only was Urmila disappointed, a whole lot of voters, mostly Gorkha community people, found their names marked deleted.

Confirming the development, a polling official said: “Yes, there have been some issues with the revised electoral role. Many people are marked as dead although they are alive. There are about 150 to 200 such voters. All of these people have casted their votes in the last election. Initially, we had to allow about six voters to cast their votes because they produced sufficient documents to support their right to vote.”

Expressing dismay about the incident, United People’s Party-Liberal’s Tamulpur candidate Leho Ram Boro said: “The mistake likes with us. Being candidates, we should have cleared these issues earlier. It is unfortunate that some people have been deprived of their legitimate right.”

ALSO READ: BTC chief continues war-of-words with BPF leader Pramila; here’s what he said

Boro is a strong contender in the constituency after Bodoland People’s Front candidate Rangja Khungur Basumatary retired from the election after defecting to the BJP on April 1.