As the city of Pune saw a surge in voter turnout early in the morning, there have been distressing reports of citizens being denied their fundamental right to vote due to their names inexplicably missing from the electoral rolls.
Numerous individuals, ranging from seasoned voters to first-timers, found themselves turned away from the polling booths, encountering a perplexing scenario where their names, previously present in the registry, had vanished without explanation.
Prabhakar Walimbe, a 76-year-old resident of Hariprasad Society in Vadgaon Sheri, recounted his disappointment as he was refused entry to the Kasturba Co-operative Housing Society polling station.
"My wife's and my daughter's names are in the list but I have been turned away. I have voted in every election in the past but now when I came to vote here at the booth set up at Kasturba Society, I was told that my name is not there. I am alive and fit. It looks like to me that they are playing the feelings of the voters," he said.
The issue extended beyond the elderly demographic, encompassing younger voters like activist Vishwambhar Choudhari and his wife, who expressed dismay at being unable to cast their votes.
Choudhari, known for his vocal criticism of the central government and as the convenor of Nirbhay Bano Manch, emphasized the significance of this electoral process in safeguarding democracy.
Similarly, Shakuntala Gaikwad, a former nurse at Sassoon Hospital, embarked on a fruitless quest across polling centers in Mahshulakar Colony, Shirur constituency, only to confront the absence of her name on the rolls.
Despite her consistent participation in past elections, Gaikwad was bewildered by her sudden disenfranchisement. "Only my son's name was there on the list," she remarked, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the omissions.
Ameet Thakkar, who relocated from Mumbai to Pune, expressed distress over his handicapped mother's inability to cast her vote due to her absence from the voter lists.
Thakkar raised pertinent questions regarding the discrepancies in the registration process, especially concerning individuals relocating from different constituencies.
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