Veteran Denied Voting Rights Due to Administrative Oversight

86-year-old Niresh Ranjan Bhattacharjee, a retired Indian Army personnel, faced disappointment when he was denied the right to vote at Bipalabi Ullaskar Vidya Bhawan voting center during the Lok Sabha elections’ second phase on April 26. Despite his efforts, officials found his name marked as ‘expired’ in the voter list, preventing him from casting his vote. Bhattacharjee, visibly upset, sought clarification from the presiding officer, who cited the list’s preparation by the former Booth Level Officer (BLO). Despite lodging a complaint with the Election Commission of India, he expressed concern about the impact on his pension due to this administrative error. While Bhattacharjee’s family informed that officials had visited to collect necessary documents, District Election Officer cum District Commissioner Rohan Kumar Jha assured resolution of the matter post-election.