Elector mapping exercise not being carried out properly, says BJP MLA

BJP MLA Abhay Patil has complained that the Election Commission of India’s electors mapping exercise is not being properly conducted in parts of Belagavi district.

He told reporters in Belagavi on Tuesday that he will send a written complaint to the ECI office in New Delhi and Bengaluru.

He said that at a special meeting of the Belagavi City Corporation on Monday, several members complained to him that names of several thousands of their voters have been left unmapped.

“I have also received similar complaints from various party functionaries in the district. I think only around 20% of the names have been mapped in the last three months in Belagavi city. In my Assembly constituency of Belagavi South, 60,000 names have been left out from the first round of mapping. I have found out that the booth level officials (BLOs) are not doing their job properly. They are not going on door to door visits. Instead, they are calling electors to venues like anganwadis, schools and temples and then marking them as voted in the last elections or not voted, as the case may be. The names of those who did not attend such unofficial meetings have been left out. According to him, the BLOs are lazy and lethargic and are not serious about their responsibilities. I have the names of all the BLOs who are not working properly. I will file complaints with their names,” Mr. Patil said.

He said that some city corporation members told him that some BLOs have left out the names of whole colonies or communities in some areas from the mapping exercise.

“This is unacceptable,” the MLA said.

Some members have demanded that mapping should be done based on Elector’s Photo Identity Card and not their residential address. This suggestion will be sent to the ECI, he said.

Deputy Mayor Vani Vilas Joshi told him that some BLOs have confided in her that they did not have mobile phones to download the mapping mobile applications or did not know how to use them.

She demanded that BLOs be given additional training.

Some city corporation members have told the MLA that the BLOs should be instructed to visit door to door, along with the jurisdictional city corporation members in different areas.

“All these will be communicated to the ECI,” Mr. Patil said.