Hyderabad High Court puts tab on voters' deletion

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday said that the publication of final voters list in the GHMC area will be subject to the final orders of the court.

The order was passed by Justice Challa Kodandaram while dealing with a petition by Mr P. Venkataamana challenging the revision of voters list with untrained private persons. He said relevant details like Nazari Naksha (rough sketch of the area) with door numbers and details of bulk voters deleted were not shown, which was illegal.

The petitioner said the revision of voters had been entrusted to a private agency which had engaged Intermediate students, those who had failed Class 10, people with unknown identities whose antecedents and skills could not be verified. These persons were not trained to revise voters lists, he contended.

He said that a circular issued by the district election officer showed that 65 polling stations in Bahadurpura Assembly Constituency had been identified where the names of more than 30 per cent voters were deleted.

While expressing dismay at the bulk deletion of voters, the judge was not inclined to stay the revision process.

Counsel appearing for the EC urged the court not to grant a stay as a major portion of revision had been completed and the defects and objections raised by the voters would be considered. 

Directing the respondents to file counter affidavits, the judge said that final lists would be subject to the final outcome of the petition.