Multiple Entries of Vikas Yadav Found in Azamgarh Voter List, Officials Face Action

Azamgarh, October 25 (Daily Kiran) : The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Uttar Pradesh has taken decisive action following allegations of multiple entries for the name ‘Vikas Yadav’ in the voter list for the Azamgarh assembly constituency, number 347. On Saturday, the CEO ordered the immediate removal of a computer assistant and five booth-level officers (BLOs) from all duties related to the voter list. This decision comes after a thorough investigation prompted by claims from the Samajwadi Party during a press conference on October 15, where they asserted that the name ‘Vikas Yadav’ appeared ten times in the voter list.

In response to these allegations, the CEO’s office requested a detailed investigation report from Azamgarh District Election Officer Ravindra Kumar. The findings revealed that the name ‘Vikas Yadav’ was logged 13 times in the voter list for constituency number 347. Of these, two entries have already been removed in accordance with regulations.

The remaining eleven entries correspond to different individuals named ‘Vikas Yadav’ who currently reside in various villages within Azamgarh district. Apart from the actual ‘Vikas Yadav’, applications have been submitted for corrections to the names and personal details of the other ten individuals.

The investigation also clarified that a registered voter from Gorakhpur district’s Chauri-Chaura assembly constituency, sharing the same name and parentage, is a separate individual with no connection to the entries in Azamgarh.

Based on the investigation’s conclusions, CEO Navdeep Rinhwa mandated that the computer assistant and the five BLOs found at fault be removed from all voter list-related tasks. Notices regarding their termination have been issued.

Notices have also been served to the former Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) before initiating action under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Additionally, departmental action has commenced against the former ERO and the two AEROs for negligence in their official duties and failure to supervise the preparation of the voter list properly.

Moreover, the Azamgarh District Election Officer has been instructed to conduct a comprehensive review of voter lists across all assembly constituencies in the district and submit a detailed report within a week. The Election Commission has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards irregularities in the preparation and maintenance of voter lists.