The Hindu Business Line : Electoral rolls

REFUTING media reports of strictures of the Election Commission consultant, Mr K. J. Rao, over "mass irregularities" in the State's electoral rolls, the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer, Mr M. Sarangi, has said that only a few defects were found and suitable corrective steps are being taken.

On the other hand, Mr A. K. Venkat Subramanian of the Citizens' Action Network, a confederation of the NGOS of the State, which acts as the watchdog over the conduct of elections, told a public meeting arranged by the Roots of Democracy Trust on February 16 that while the number of those above the voting age in Tamil Nadu did not exceed 425 lakhs, the number shown in the electoral rolls totalled some 500 lakhs, raising the suspicion of packing the rolls with nearly 75 lakhs of bogus votes.

As a former Chief Electoral Officer myself, I would advise Mr Sarangi, not to be complacent on this score. His officials also seem to be showing an indifferent attitude to delays as well as omission in issuing photo identity cards.

I have before me concrete evidence to this effect provided by no less a person than Mr A. L. Mudaliar, Chairman, Bata Shoe Company, who has been knocking his head against the doors of officialdom, particularly the District Revenue Officer (Elections), Chennai, without any perceptible results.

Allegations of lakhs of bogus entries finding their way into the electoral rolls are cropping up in other States also. The Chief Electoral Officers and the Election Commissioners should not be content with the typically insensitive bureaucratic response by merely mentioning the existing procedures for effecting corrections.

This is nothing but an evasion of their responsibility by putting the onus on the voters who are nonchalantly shrugged off by lower level officials as Mr Mudaliar's case has shown. Instead, they should proactively launch a determined drive to undertake a large-scale verification of the entries in all constituencies from where complaints are received and to complete the delivery of photo ID cards by a specified date.

The Election Commission should also lose no more time in complying with the long-standing demand of making electoral rolls of particular localities available at the post offices to facilitate easy access and verification by the voters whenever they want. It should also keep the public and the media posted with the action taken on the suggestions.

The entire nation, like one person, will solidly stand behind the Commission in support of any bold and deterrent action it takes by assuming whatever powers it needs against any political party or candidate whose polling or counting agents foul up the elections by rowdyism or violence.

B. S. Raghavan