45,000 duplicate voters found in Khammam district

KHAMMAM: Election officials in Khammam district have found 45,000 duplicate votes in the five assembly segments of Khammam district. The duplicate voters have, however, been identified only at the assembly constituency level so far. It will take time to identify duplicate voters whose names may figure in more than one constituency.

Identification of voters figuring in more than one booth has been made possible by the Photo Similar Entry (PSE) software.

Incidentally, 30,550 duplicate voters have been identified among 3.14 lakh voters registered in Khammam assembly segment. Similarly, 3,810 duplicate voters have been identified among 1.78 lakh voters in Wyra segment, 3,800 among 2.15 lakh voters in Palair segment, 3,527 among 2.23 lakh voters in Sathupalli and 3,247 duplicate voters among 2.04 lakh voters in Madhira constituency. In all, there are 11.35 lakh voters in Khammam district.

Rambabu, an official in the election department, said: “We find duplication of voters at polling booth level first. Later, we identify duplication at the constituency level.” He disclosed that once they find a voter registered in two different polling booths through PSE, the asked the voter concerned to choose one of the two voting booths.

When asked about a voter registered in Khammam segment enrolling in, for example Kukatpally constituency in Hyderabad too; Rambabu said the process to identify duplication of voters at the state level will be taken up in later stages. He underlined that they have only completed booth-level and constituency-level duplication of voters in Khammam district.

“A pan-India identification of voter duplication can be made possible after electoral rolls throughout the country are examined,” Rambabu clarified.