E-Paper
Lucknow faces urban challenge, 30-39% city voters uncollectible, sizeable deletions loom
A large number of voters in the new localities of Lucknow are enrolled in their villages as well as in their urban colonies but wish to maintain their rural voter identity
An urban challenge stares Lucknow in the face as data emerging from the ongoing SIR process indicates the percentage of uncollectible voters in the state capital’s urban hubs ranges from 30% to 39%, indicating the possibility of the deletion of a sizeable number of voters in these six seats compared to the segments with a large rural population.
The uncollectible category includes permanently shifted, deceased, duplicate and untraceable voters as well as those who have not returned the enumeration forms to booth level officers. In three largely rural constituencies, the uncollectible percentage ranges from 17 to 22. Overall, data shows that 30% of the voters are uncollectible in nine assembly constituencies of Lucknow district.
District election officers will verify them after the Election Commission of India extended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls by 15 days. The names of approximately 9 lakh to 11 lakh voters are likely to be deleted, said an officer.
The uncollectible percentages in the six urban constituencies are: Lucknow Cantt (39%), Lucknow North (38%), Lucknow East (38%) Lucknow Central (35%), Sarojninagar (32%) and the old city area of Lucknow West (30%). In the three assembly constituencies with a high percentage of rural voters, the proportion of uncollectible voters is Bakshi Ka Talab (22%), Malihabad (17%), and Mohanlalganj (17%). Booth level officers have scanned 39,94,535 voters in Lucknow’s nine assembly constituencies – Malihabad, Bakshi Ka Talab, Sarojninagar, Lucknow West, Lucknow North, Lucknow East, Lucknow Central, Lucknow Cantt and Mohanlalganj – since the launch of SIR on November 4.
The rural areas are considered a migrant nucleus from where people move to urban areas in search of livelihood as well as better education and health facilities. This gives rise to the question: why is the ratio of the shifted, duplicate and untraceable voters higher in urban constituencies?
BLOs found that voters residing in urban areas but maintaining rural links were eager to get themselves enrolled as voters in their villages.
In the uncollectible category, 5.38 lakh voters have been marked as shifted voters, 4.55 lakh absent, 46,000 duplicate voters and 66,000 voters have not returned their enumeration forms after collecting them from BLOs. A large number of voters in the state capital’s new localities along Sultanpur Road, Prayagraj Road, Kanpur Road and Ayodhya Road were duplicate voters as they were enrolled in their villages as well as in their urban colonies, a district administration officer said. These voters told BLOs they will maintain the rural voter identity and surrender the city EPIC card, the officer added.
The large number of uncollectible voters in urban constituencies has alarmed parties, particularly the BJP as urban hubs are considered the party’s strongholds and the decline is likely to cut into its votes. A survey by the party shows voters are eager to maintain their rural identity as they have ancestral property in the villages. The benefit of welfare schemes in rural areas and the upcoming panchayat election are other reasons for wanting to maintain the village connection.
The BJP has urged party workers to motivate voters to maintain their votes in the urban areas.
