Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 6: Claiming that hundreds of bogus voters have been enrolled in the electoral rolls of Koloriang and Sarli circles, particularly for the Pani, Pinging, and Sarli town polling stations, the 21 Koloriang Assembly Constituency Native People’s Forum (21-KACNPF) has appealed to the state’schief electoral officer (CEO) to take urgent steps to check it.
Addressing journalists at Arunachal Press Club here on Saturday afternoon, 21-KACNPF chairman Bengia Tabiak said the forum had in a representation to the CEO on 5 October apprised him of the issue. He said there has been a huge increase in the number of bogus voters, particularly for the polling stations of Pani and Damin town.
These voters, he claimed, are not residents of the particular areas but mostly from Assam and outside the constituency.
“As per the 2011 population census, the total population of Pani village under Koloriang circle was 70 and the total electoral roll of 34-Pani polling station during the year 2013 was 89. The number of electoral rolls increased to 215 in 2018 (over 125 percent increase in the number of voters). Also, there is abnormal reduction of electoral rolls against Damin area, which is indicative of political interference,” Tabiak said, and requested the CEO to ensure that “the growth ratio of 2 percent in the electoral roll of Damin circle be counted from the original voters’ list published in 2004.”
The forum also sought prohibition of rampant enrollment and online transfer of voters’ IDs from other areas to the Koloriang assembly constituency.
Meanwhile, reacting to the allegation of inclusion of bogus voters for the Pani polling station, Koloriang MLA Pani Taram termed it “baseless and misleading,” and said that, as per Article 326 of the Constitution and the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, anyone above 18 years of age has the right to vote.
“The summary revision process is currently underway, and so far we have no knowledge of any inclusion of hundreds of bogus voters online at 34 Pani polling station,” Taram said.
