Congress workers in Bengaluru protest Rahul Gandhi’s detention in New Delhi by burning an effigy of CEC Gyanesh Kumar
The cases have raised questions over Yatnal’s claim that 1,054 voters in Bijapur City — which he represents in the assembly — were deceased and should be deleted from electoral rolls. Yatnal had complained to Bijapur city corporation commissioner and assistant electoral registration officers on Aug 31. Verification by the district administration found that in eight cases, including those of the three women, death certificates cited against the voters were found to belong to people with the same names. The district administration then directed verification, with officials visiting voters’ homes.
K Anand, deputy commissioner and district electoral officer, told TOI the complaint was not investigated under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA), as no Form 7 had been filed.
“The MLA’s letter was rejected upfront for investigation under the Representation of the People Act,” Anand said. Anand said the corporation commissioner also heads the birth and death registry and is required to verify complaints relating to death certificates. “On verification, the certificates were found to be of namesakes of the voters,” Anand said.
Instead, the complaint was examined under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act.