Navi Mumbai civic polls: Name missing from rolls, Ganesh Naik casts vote after officials intervene

Mumbai: Maharashtra Forest Minister and senior BJP leader Ganesh Naik initially faced difficulty in exercising his franchise in the Navi Mumbai civic polls on Thursday after his name was not found in the voters’ list, though he later managed to cast his vote following intervention by election officials.

Naik said he had been voting for many years at Navi Mumbai School No. 94 along with his family, but this time he was informed that voting would take place at St Mary High School.

“When I went there, there was no room number 9 as informed, and my name was not in the voters’ list, so initially I could not cast my vote,” Naik told reporters with a wry smile outside School No. 94.

He said he returned to the St Mary school after officials stepped in and resolved the issue, following which he was able to vote.

“My family members and relatives live in the same building in Navi Mumbai, but our names were divided among three different polling centres,” he claimed.

Asked who should be held responsible for the lapse, Naik said the State Election Commission was at fault.

“It is anyone’s guess that if a minister like me can face a situation where his name is missing from the voters’ list, then one can imagine what might be happening to common voters,” he stated.

Voting was underway on Thursday for elections to 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Navi Mumbai.