'Singapore' to ‘Goat’s Nest’: Polling station names from 2002 rolls leave Telangana voters baffled

HYDERABAD: "Singapore", "For Pakistan", "Slingshot", "Cockatoo", "Cashew Lizard", "Big Goot", and "Goat's Nest", it turns out, are nonsensical words and phrases representing polling stations from the 2002 rolls that are listed connected the Election Commission website and being utilized to representation residents successful Telangana.

When TOI scanned the electoral rolls, it recovered extended usage of specified words and phrases: "for vegetarian", "a caller students", "johncompete", "find the pumpkin", "among the monkeys" and "while sleeping", to sanction a few. And it was recurring crossed each erstwhile districts of Telangana. ECI's Voters' Service Portal besides carries a ample disclaimer successful red: "Spellings whitethorn alteration betwixt past SIR details and existent details, hence if you bash not find output with nonstop sanction past effort antithetic variations of names, for illustration for Maneesh besides effort Manish."

'Couldn't find booths contempt surviving successful metropolis since property of 14' Election Commission's Voters' Service Portal adds that EC has hosted the information arsenic received (from authorities main electoral officers), without immoderate modification.With the pre-special intensive revision process nether mode successful Telangana, voters complained however these "preposterous" names of polling stations person made it challenging for them to scan the SIR e-roll to cheque if their names - oregon that of their parents and grandparents - are connected the database being utilized for mapping.

"I struggled for a week to find my sanction successful the 2002 roll, nether Chevella constituency. When I saw the polling presumption names, I was shocked. I couldn't recognise galore of them contempt surviving successful the metropolis since the property of 14," said Satya Narayana, a nonmigratory of Ranga Reddy district. "They hardly marque immoderate sense. How does EC expect america to cooperate erstwhile the database they prepared is afloat of mistakes," helium asked.Ajay R, a elector from Wardhannapet constituency, shared however helium encountered words similar "lazy", "bite" and "worry" during his search.

"I don't recognize however officials assumed that these could beryllium polling presumption names. This shows that they did nary owed diligence portion preparing the electoral rolls. It's unfortunate that they are present utilizing it to sanitise electoral rolls successful the country," said the voter, who was a insignificant successful 2002.Incidentally, immoderate of the electoral registration officers TOI spoke to were themselves shocked to larn astir these errors. They said they'd look into the rolls to place specified errors and bring them to EC's announcement for deletion. "Booth-level officers volition person to pass america if errors are found. So acold nary specified contented has been flagged to america successful the pre-SIR process," said K Partha Simha Reddy, ERO, Chevella constituency.Telangana CEO C Sudharshan Reddy, meanwhile, refused to remark connected the issue.