In Tamil Nadu, even bypoll brings in freebies for people to vote

Even today, votes in India are earned in exchange of money, goodies and freebies like liquor, biriyani, etc. Such things are happening even in bypolls. This is one of the reason why India is still a developing country, not a developed country.

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Despite Election Commission’s hawk eye, it’s raining freebies in Vandavasi. With just three days left for an assembly by-election here, voters have been forming furtive queues in nondescript street corners to collect gifts, including biryani packets, envelopes with money, dhotis, sarees and booze bottles. The December 19 byelection is proving to be a big bonanza for voters.

‘‘While one political party offered Rs 500 per vote, another gave us Rs 200. People say there will be a second round of disbursement of cash just before the polling day,’’ said a gleeful Chinnadurai, a resident of Thellar, 15 km from Vandavasi town. A family with five voters in Vandavasi reserved constituency will pocket anywhere between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000 this month, besides goodies, pointed out Chinnadurai.

Money and liquor are flowing freely. One political party generously distributed quarter bottles of whisky, supplementing it with sumptuous biryani feasts. The women folk were mollified too. Uncomplainingly, they took rides in trucks to receive free sarees and dhotis.

Said chief electoral officer, Naresh Gupta: ‘‘Whenever we get complaints or alerts, we direct the district election officers concerned to send squads to the spot to check.’’ But, the party always breaks up before the election officials get to them, pointed out sources.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 16th December 2009

You are Dead Sir, hence you cannot vote in this election

False voting are on a rise these days after election voting cards have become a mandatory for voting in any elections. Not only this, I have observed name and other detials are not properly mentioned/spelled in the Election ID Cards because of the carelessness and negligence of the government officials.
For example, one of my friends name is akash bhatia and his fathers name is Captain Bhatia. But in the Election ID Card akash's father name is displayed as Captix Jhatia. How can anybody's name be Captix Jhatia? This is how negligent our government officials are.

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Writer and theatre personality Deepak Ranjan Chatterjee was shocked when officials at a polling booth in Jharkhand told him that he could not vote because he was dead -- in their records!

A day after the first round of assembly elections in the state Wednesday, Chatterjee related what he underwent in Jamshedpur city.

'My wife and my sons' names were there, but the officials at the booth told me that Deepak Ranjan Chatterjee was dead. I wanted to know how this was possible since I was listed as their father and I am active socially. They insisted the boys' father had died long ago,' Chatterjee told IANS.

Several others also complained that their names were missing from the voters' list. Balloting took place in 26 of the 81 assembly constituencies Wednesday amid a boycott call by Maoists.

Lakshmi Devi, 70, a Yadav voter in Hatia town, was not sure if her name was on the voters' list till the last moment.

'I migrated from Bihar to Jharkhand nine years ago. I was told a week ago that my name was not on the voters' list and I would not be able to vote. Today I found it. There was no coordination,' she said.

Also in Jamshedpur, lawyer Arun Sanyal was in for a surprise when he walked into his polling booth.

'I was born in this city and have voted for the last 40 years. But my name was missing from the rolls this time although my entire family was listed,' Sanyal said.

Tilak Mahto, a 55-year-old in Jugsalai assembly segment, said none of his family members was on the voter list along with 40 other Mahto voters. 'I suspect a conspiracy,' Mahto said.

Source: www.khabarexpress.com, 26 Nov 2009