Electoral roll row: Somaiya flags 1,200 voters from non-existent slum

BJP's Kirit Somaiya has alleged electoral roll fraud in Mumbai's Bandra East, claiming officials illegally 'mapped' over 1,200 voters from Garib Nagar, a colony that was demolished weeks ago. He has demanded action against the officials.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya on Tuesday alleged major irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Mumbai's Bandra East, claiming that election officials "mapped" over 1,200 voters from a colony that no longer exists.

1,296 Voters Mapped from Demolished Slum

In a letter addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra, S. Chockalingam, Somaiya raised concerns over the inclusion of voters from 'Garib Nagar,' an unauthorised settlement on railway property that was recently demolished. "We are shocked that the concerned block-level officials in the first round of SIR have cleared the mapping of 1,296 voters out of 2,412 voters of Garib Nagar, Bandra East. It may please be noted that the Garib Nagar unauthorised encroachment on railway property was demolished a few weeks back by railway officials with the assistance of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Police," Somaiya stated in his letter.

The BJP leader further alleged that despite the demolition being a matter of public record and previously brought to the attention of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), Booth Level Officers (BLOs) continued with the mapping process. "In spite of the same being brought to the notice of the ERO of Bandra East and concerned BLO officials, they ignored the demolition and did not remove the names. Instead, they completed the mapping work, which is purely illegal. When everyone, including the BLO and the ERO, knows that Garib Nagar is demolished and nobody is residing there, they still completed the mapping in the first round of SIR," the letter read.

Somaiya further alleged that BLOs had organised camps in the area specifically to include the names of voters from the demolished site into the current mapping. He has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take strict "appropriate action" against the officials involved for negligence and illegal conduct.

Somaiya Demands Removal of Voters

Taking to X, Somaiya shared that he visited the area on Monday to inspect the site and meet with senior election officials. "Yesterday I visited the area, met the Deputy Collector and Election Commission officials of Bandra, and demanded the removal of all 2,412 illegally registered voters of Garib Nagar," he posted. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)