Hyderabad: Aadhaar cards outnumbered all other identity cards, including the Electors Photo Identity Cards, carried by voters to poll booths on Wednesday.
During earlier elections, people from affluent sections of society used to flash PAN cards and passports as their ID proofs, but Wednesday saw voters from almost all sections of society, right from watchmen to software professionals, carrying Aadhaar cards as their proofs of identity.
One reason for Aadhaar cards being so popular might be the earlier hype that it could be used for everything, from booking LPG cylinders to opening bank accounts. And though the Supreme Court later clarified that it was just another ID card, many still think of the Aadhaar as all important. Many voters also argued with polling officials that they should be allowed to vote on the basis of Aadhaar cards.
However, officials, while admitting that the Aadhaar was one of the IDs approved by the EC, explained that unless their names were on the voters’ list, they could not vote regardless the number of ID proofs they carried.
As a result, a large number of people returned disappointed after being unable to find their names on the voters’ list.
“I cast my vote from this same polling booth (Jain School at Chandulal Bowli, Sikh Village). My name is missing. I received an SMS that we can show Aadhaar or other Id proof and vote even if we did not receive the voter’s slip. But officials did not allow me to vote stating that my name was not found on the voters’ list,” said M.N. Fathima, a techie.
“I have brought my Aadhaar card, PAN and driving licence. How many more IDs should I produce? I was told that my name has been removed without even giving a notice to me. I have not changed my residence in the last 10 years,” said Ch V. Srivatsa
Hyderabad district election officer Somesh Kumar said that for the past several months, citizens were being requested to check their names in the voters’ list. The EC norms are clear that people would be allowed to vote only if their name is on the list.
