The mix-up stems from booth number 54 in Aurai block, where a “clerical error” has mistakenly listed 138 electors as children of the elusive Munna Kumar. With election day looming, the confusion has left everyone on edge.
JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha is particularly worried.
“It is strange so many voters have the same father. How can this happen? I am worried my voters could be stopped from casting their votes,” he told TOI. “Spelling mistakes and voters shuffled out of their blocks like misplaced luggage have added to the drama,” Jha said, adding the authorities concerned should have sorted this, but now it is too late. “We are all stuck with this mess,” Jha added.
Meanwhile, independent candidate Vanshidhar Brijwasi is also on the warpath.
“I flagged this to the divisional commissioner, but to no avail. Imagine, 138 voters are panicking because the list says they are all children of Munna Kumar! They are scared they will be denied their right to vote,” Brijwasi told TOI.According to the TOI report, Tirhut divisional commissioner Saravanan M reassured voters, promising that those with valid IDs won’t be turned away, even though the list can’t be updated in time. “”We will deal with the officials responsible after the elections. Heads will roll, but first, we vote,” he said.
The byelection was triggered by the election of JD(U) MLC Devesh Chandra Thakur to the Lok Sabha from Sitamarhi. Voting will take place on Thursday, December 5, with results set for December 9.
