The Hindu Business Line : `Complaints' of names missing

COMPLAINTS of large-scale deletion of names from voters' list, especially in Chennai and surrounding districts, and stray incidents of violence across the State marked the elections to the Lok Sabha, today.

In the city, voters across the three constituencies found their names deleted from the lists although they had valid photo identity cards.

Briefing the media in the evening, after polling ended, the Chief Electoral Officer of the State, Mr Mrutyunjai Sarangi, acknowledged that there were "large scale complaints" of voters' names being left out of the list in Chennai and parts of Thiruvallur district.

An enquiry would be conducted. The Election Department even set up a helpline, mainly to enable those who found their names missing to call in and register their complaints.

"After enquiry is over, if required, they can submit Form 6 and their names will be included. They can vote in the next elections," he said

Declining to comment further on the issue, he said that the Election Commission could not be held responsible. "The Election Commission only supervises but it is the district officers who have to take the responsibility," he said.

Responding to a question, Mr Sarangi said that the Election Commission would look into the complaints. "But there are 23-24 lakh voters in Chennai and may be a thousand would have complained. So far no Returning Officer has mentioned a need for repoll," he said.

Official estimates indicate that 55-60 per cent of the voters in Tamil Nadu would have exercised their franchise. In Chennai, over 50-55 per cent are expected to have cast their votes, according to Mr Sarangi.

He said that voting in all the constituencies in the State had gone smoothly without incidents of violence, except in Sattur area in Sivakasi constituency. A report is expected from the authorities concerned. "There is no indication for a repoll due to violence or disturbance," he said.

However, there have been reports of electronic voting machine malfunction. Where needed, a repoll would be conducted, and a decision will be taken on Tuesday. "If there is a need for repoll it will be conducted on May 12 (Wednesday)." The officers had replaced the machines in 40 locations, where there had been a problem, he said.

Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha constituencies with the AIADMK and the BJP fighting the polls together. The opposition alliance - the Democratic Progressive Alliance - led by the DMK includes the Congress (I), PMK, MDMK, CPI (M), CPI and the IUML. The AIADMK is contesting 33 seats and the BJP six, besides the lone Pondicherry seat. The DMK is contesting 15, Congress (I) 10, PMK six, including Pondicherry, MDMK four, CPI (M) and CPI two each and IUML one.

While the Democratic Progressive Alliance highlighted what it described as the failings of the AIADMK Government in the State, the AIADMK-BJP combine campaigned on the leadership qualities of Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Complaints of names missing galore