Lucknow – A series of seemingly absurd entries on voter lists for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections has ignited a social‑media firestorm and prompted the Election Commission of India (EC) to order formal inquiries. Names such as “Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara”, “Murkhchand Yadav” and “Mohammad Pagal Rehan” were posted online, leading opposition leaders and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to demand corrective action.
Allegations raised by the Samajwadi Party
On Wednesday, Dr. Man Singh Yadav, a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate and sitting member of the Legislative Council, complained to the district magistrate of Prayagraj that voter slips for the Allahabad‑Jhansi graduate constituency contained multiple irregularities. Yadav highlighted slips where the column meant for a father’s name displayed academic qualifications such as “B.Com”, while other slips listed phrases that read like jokes – for example, “Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara (Ram hit Yadav)” as the voter’s name and “Murkh Chand Yadav (Idiot Chand Yadav)” as the father’s name.
The SP candidate argued that such errors called into question the integrity of the voter‑list preparation process. He suggested, with sarcasm, that the list appeared to have been compiled by someone “under the influence of alcohol”. Yadav’s complaint was lodged formally, and the matter quickly attracted attention on social platforms, where users circulated memes and called for verification of the rolls.
Election Commission response and broader concerns
In response to the growing controversy, the Election Commission instructed the Jhansi divisional commissioner – who also serves as the electoral registration officer for the constituency – to submit an inquiry report by Thursday afternoon. The commission noted the unusual names circulating online and sought a detailed explanation. While the report has been filed, its contents have not been released to the public.
Other anomalous entries shared on social media included “Takkar Marna” and additional instances where the father’s name field appeared to contain nonsensical text. The authenticity of these entries has not been independently verified, though several opposition leaders have amplified the claims.
The upcoming council election, scheduled for 23 October, will see 11 seats contested – five graduate and six teacher constituencies. According to official data, 15.48 lakh voters are registered across these constituencies, with 2,697 polling stations prepared for the exercise. A total of 152 candidates have filed nominations.
BJP’s duplicate‑entry allegations
Parallel to the SP’s grievances, the ruling BJP submitted its own complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, alleging a large number of fake and duplicate entries in the Allahabad‑Jhansi graduate constituency’s voter list. The party’s letter demanded an inquiry and the removal of the alleged duplicates.
The BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit quantified the issue, claiming 4,397 duplicate records across several districts. The breakdown cited 3,163 duplicates in Prayagraj, 320 in Kaushambi, 179 in Jalaun and 178 in Jhansi. Additional figures included 140 duplicates in Banda, 139 in Fatehpur, 109 in Lalitpur, 81 in Hamirpur, 68 in Chitrakoot and 20 in Mahoba.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been actively campaigning for the council polls, while SP president Akhilesh Yadav has appealed to voters via social media, urging them to exercise their franchise despite the controversies surrounding the rolls.
Separate investigation in Pilibhit
In a related development, the Uttar Pradesh election commission has taken action following complaints lodged by the Congress party regarding the Pilibhit Sadar Assembly constituency. Congress officials alleged that more than 16,000 voters were affected by discrepancies, including instances where entering a voter’s EPIC number online displayed details belonging to a different voter.
Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa reported that two sub‑divisional magistrates (SDMs) in Pilibhit were removed from their posts and an FIR was filed against them. The district magistrate was alerted to the complaints, and Rinwa directed the district election officer to conduct a comprehensive review of voter lists across all assembly constituencies in Pilibhit, with a submission deadline of two days.
Rinwa emphasized that any irregularities identified in voter rolls would be investigated wherever they emerged, underscoring the commission’s broader commitment to ensuring the accuracy of electoral registers ahead of the council elections.
As the October 23 poll approaches, the dual controversies – bizarre name entries and alleged duplicate records – have placed the integrity of Uttar Pradesh’s electoral rolls under intense scrutiny. The Election Commission’s inquiries and the political pressure from both opposition and ruling parties suggest that corrective measures may be taken before voting commences, though the final outcome of the investigations remains to be seen.
Be First to Comment