Navi Mumbai civic polls: Minister Ganesh Naik faces voter list snag, casts vote after delay

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Ganesh Naik on Thursday claimed his name was missing from the Navi Mumbai civic polls voters’ list, but he eventually managed to cast his ballot after hours of running between booths.

Naik said in the morning that he had been voting for many years at Navi Mumbai School No. 94 along with his family, but this time he was told that voting would take place at the St Mary High School.

"When I went there, there was no room number 9 as informed, and my name was not in the voters' list, so I could not cast my vote," Naik told reporters outside School No. 94.

He later went to the St Mary school again, saying his family members and relatives live in the same building in Navi Mumbai, but their names were spread across three different polling centres.

The forest minister later found his name in the list and exercised his franchise at the St Mary School.

"When I came back to St Mary school again, I was told by the local authorities that my name is there in the voters' list. I went to the polling booth and cast my vote. Looking at the overall chaos, I feel the officials are not working up to the mark. They should have been more careful," he told reporters.

Earlier, when asked who should be held responsible for the lapse, Naik claimed the State Election Commission was at fault.

"It is anyone's guess that if a minister like me can face a situation where his name is missing from the voters' list, then one can imagine what might be happening to common voters," he stated.

Voting was under way on Thursday for elections to 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Navi Mumbai.