KPCC says voters' list should be printed in govt press

Bengaluru: In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar has requested that the voters list be printed only in the government printing press. "There are wide-spread complaints that the names of certain categories of the voters are getting deleted from the final list of the voters at the time of printing. It is alleged that certain outfits affiliated to a political party, through various means, manipulate the lists at the time of printing and see that the names of certain categories of voters are omitted," Shivakumar stated in the letter.

He observed that since the political parties do not get the opportunity to set right the anomaly, the genuine voters are deprived of the right to vote.

"This is a sheer mockery of the very institution of democracy. This manipulation occurs when the Election Commission engages private agencies to print the voters' lists. The exalted constitutional authority -- Election Commission -- has the sacred responsibility under the constitution of India to conduct free and fair elections without giving room for any mischief," the letter read.

In order to ensure that no manipulation takes place in the printing of voters' list, Shivakumar has asked the Election Commission to take the precaution that private operators do not sneak into the system.

"Therefore, appeal to you to kindly do not engage any private operators in getting the voters' list printed by private agencies and ensure that the lists are printed only in government press," he wrote.