Voting time is around in India, and this word, “voting percentages,” takes centre stage. All social media, news channels, newspapers, and every conceivable centre of information are full of this buzzword.
This time around, we, the RWA in S Block, GK constituency, where there was a major fight ensuing, decided to do a reality check on the low percentage of our area (around 54% as reported in every past election). In every meeting of political parties in our block, we urged voters to come out on the voting day & vote.
However, on the evening of 5th Feb., it was reported that % from GK is only around 54.5%.
As RWA, we decided to do a reality fact check, and the results are quite an eye-opener and expose the chinks in the whole system of the election commission and the methodology of preparing the voters list and shortcomings. Our findings are not an aspersion on anybody but on the system as a whole.
We did a detailed study, painstakingly pouring over two of the three lists of voters, i.e., Part 24 & 25 of S Block G K.1 (Electoral Rolls 2025 UO5, NCT of Delhi, Assy. Constituency 50-Greater Kailash (Gen), Date of Publication: 06.01.2025).
Here are some of the observations:
Part 24—Number of voters as per list = 1435; Number of those who voted: -774
% of voting = 54.63%; Actual position of Part list 24: Number of voters who have already expired but are on the list = 24
(Some of the glaring mistakes: Late Ram Labhaya Uppal, S.No. 1133, & Late Kuldeep Bagga, S.No. 1129 passed away many, many years back.)
*Number of voters who have already shifted out, NRIs & other blocks = 207
The actual number of voters on the list should be 1204.
Now, if we take the base figure of 1204, the voting % works out to 65.12%, a glaring difference of 10.49%.
Part 25—Number of voters as per list = 1431; Number of those who voted = 769
% of voting = 53.74%; Actual position of Part 25 list: People already expired but in the list: -26; People moved out, NRI & other blocks: -170
Actual number of voters: 1235
% of voting on a base of 1235: 62.27%
Now there may be some discussion that people of other blocks or those who have moved out but are listed in S Block may have voted. A detailed analysis can be done.
However, the basic question is why such glaring discrepancies & mistakes when the BLOs deputed by the Election Commission work almost throughout the year, visiting houses, holding camps & awareness camps?
Why do residents not provide the latest information about deaths or NRIs?
A person who acquires the citizenship of another country is not supposed to carry an Indian election card. I think it’s simply a lethargic attitude.
But I regret to say that with this large sample study, the data appears to be skewed. I must add that skewed information is worse than no information at all.
Would request the concerned authorities to please look into these anomalies & devise ways to have accurate data in today’s age of AI & data analysis algorithms doing the rounds. Going forward, one possible solution may be to link the MCD website of deaths with the election commission.
