5,117 People Have Two Votes and Elect Two MPs, Thanks to Maha-TS Dispute
ADILABAD: Every citizen has only one vote in India. People in 12 villages on the border of Telangana state and Maharashtra, however, are special as they have had votes in both states for the last 30 years.
For the Telangana state government, these villages are part of the Kerameri mandal of Komaram Bheem district, while Maharashtra considers them to be the residents of Jivati taluk of Chandrapur district. They are part of the Asifabad Assembly constituency of Telangana state and the Rajura Assembly constituency of Maharashtra.
While a case is pending in the Supreme Court between the two state governments, people have been playing voting in both states in all elections at all levels. Many voters in these villages have been getting an old-age pension of `1,500 from Maharashtra and `2,000 from the Telangana state government for a long time.
They have Aadhaar cards with the same number issued from Maharashtra and Telangana state in addition to having voter identity cards and ration cards issued by the two states.
The 12 villages have 5,117 voters — 2,694 male and 2423 female — and they have decided to vote in the polling for the Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra on April 19 and also for the Adilabad Lok Sabha seat in Telangana on May 13.
From Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency, Prathibha Dhanorkar is contesting as a Congress candidate, Sudhir Mungantiwar as a BJP candidate and Rajesh Bhele of the Vanchith Bahujan Aghadi.
Ramdas Ranveer of Mukhaddamguda in Kerameri mandal said, “It was the mistake of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and state governments which issued two voter cards and ration cards. One can’t fault the villagers.”
"If two states compete to offer welfare schemes, who will refuse them,” asked Ramdas Ranveer, who said many families had migrated to these disputed villages in search of agricultural land in 1962 from Maratwada of Maharashtra.
“Political parties in both states want our votes. That is why they offer us welfare schemes without restrictions,” he said.
Kamble Laxman, sarpanch of Parandholi, said revenue officials from the Keramari tahsildar office visited their villages and asked them not to cast their vote in the Maharashtra elections.
He made it clear that the voters of 12 disputed bordering villages would cast their vote in the election of both Telangana and Maharashtra till the Supreme Court pronounced its judgment.