Aarushi Garg was super excited as she set out with her parents to vote on Friday morning. Daughter of senior IPS officer Amit Garg, CID chief of AP, this first-time voter was looking forward to casting her vote but was shocked when she found upon arrival at the polling booth that her name was not on the list. Aarushi’s mother, Sumita, too found her name missing from the voter’s list.
The duo were not the only people who were left fuming at what they insist is bungling on the side of the administration. Several top bureaucrats including IPS officer T. Krishna Prasad too found that their names had mysteriously disappeared from the voter’s list.
An irate Sumita Garg said, “I went to cast my vote in the morning only to find out my name was missing. None of our family members could vote except my husband. We were trying to get our tokens before hand but they kept telling us our names were not on the list. Even then we hoped for the best because we had our voter IDs and thought that once we went to the voting booth we would find our names, but were disappointed when that did not happen.
Sumita added that what irked her even more was the fact that upon her enquiring why there was no queue or queues of people voting, she was told that lesser votes would ensure victory for sitting party!
“I pay taxes and waited for five years only to discover I am not counted in the system. Why is there no helpline for voters? I have never felt so disappointed,” she said.
The family was in for further shocks though; while they were busy trying to locate their names on the list, a manhole at the polling centre suddenly started spewing water. “We were pretty much marooned and we had to wade through the water. The GHMC has gone to dogs. I am frustrated paying inflated electricity bills and amenity bills. But this is not acceptable. This is supposed to be the booming IT hub, after Bangalore. Can’t we have a voting helpline, at least?” Sumita, who had voted at the 2014 elections, said.
Senior IPS officer Krishna Prasad too was omitted. “I found my name missing when I went to the booth. A few days ago, the Election Commission had sent their people for verification to every house and when the person came to my house my name was there in the list. But today when I went to the booth, my name was missing. I lost my right to vote,” the official said.
Several other bureaucrats residing in Pleasant Valley and Jubilee Hills, were similarly taken aback when the names of their family members was missing. “This would have been the first time I would have exercised my franchise and I was excited. In fact, I was waiting for this day eagerly” said the daughter of another senior IPS officer.
Senior IPS officer, VK Singh, DG, Telangana Prisons department, said that though he was able to cast his vote, his daughter’s name was missing. “We had verified a few days back and her name was in the list. But at the polling booth today her name is not on the list.”
