EC denies charge of irregularities in MP electoral roll

The Election Commission on Monday dismissed the Congress' allegation about large-scale irregularities in the electoral roll in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

The EC wrote to the Congress, stating that it conducted a "door-to-door field verification" after receiving a complaint from the party and found the allegation about large-scale duplication, repeat, invalid and false entries in the electoral roll to be "unsubstantiated".

The Congress on June 3 lodged a complaint with the EC, claiming large-scale irregularities in the electoral roll in Madhya Pradesh, which is likely to go to polls later this year.

The EC stated that the local officials verified physically 26,76,231 electors in 91 Assembly constituencies in the state, as listed in the complaint lodged by the Congress.

Altogether 22,918,10 voters were found to be present, while 3,307,11 voters were either deleted already or not found enrolled in the respective constituencies.

Electors were found absent in 31,059 cases, while 12,987 were found to be dead.

Only the names of 9,644 electors were found to be repeatedly entered in the electoral rolls of the same set of constituencies.

Besides, with respect to the allegation of repeated entry of same voters in electoral rolls of different constituencies, the local officials found 8,728 such cases.

The EC stated that appropriate action had already been initiated in cases of the repeated entry of the same voters in the electoral rolls, no matter whether the repetition was found to be within the same constituencies, or in different constituencies.

The poll panel ordered an enquiry and sent teams of officials to four Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh to check the veracity of the allegaltion by the Congress, which is likely to be the principal challenger to the ruling BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.

The EC on June 8 informed the Congress preliminary inquiry did not find any large-scale irregularities. The commission, however, ordered the chief election officer of Madhya Pradesh to carry out a detailed enquiry covering all the Assembly constituencies across the state.

The EC on Monday wrote to the Congress, sharing the findings of the enquiry conducted by the chief election officer.