A first-time voter in Siliguri, eagerly participating in the West Bengal Assembly elections, was disheartened when she discovered that her vote had already been cast by someone else. Kajal Das expressed disappointment, stating that despite her enthusiasm to vote for the first time, she was informed that another person had voted in her name. She attributed this error to the polling officials at the booth in ward number 24, which led to her missing the opportunity to vote.
Das criticized the officials for marking her name as voted, emphasizing that it was their mistake that resulted in her exclusion from the voting process. She highlighted the confusion caused by having two individuals with the same name in the ward, stressing the need for clarity and accuracy in such situations. Her father, Gopal Das, echoed her sentiments, lamenting the situation where his daughter’s first vote was cast by someone else, despite their efforts to rectify the error.
Gopal Das revealed that he managed to cast his vote but was instructed to contact the District Level Officer regarding the incident involving his daughter. Expressing frustration, he questioned how he, as a voter, was expected to reach out to the authorities in such circumstances. The family’s experience shed light on the challenges faced by voters in ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, especially in the context of efforts by the Election Commission to address issues like fake or deceased voters in the electoral rolls.
