CEC: Vote should be where you live, not ‘native’ place

NEW DELHI: The special intensive revision of electoral roll in Bihar, and eventually rest of India, will not only exclude people added as electors after 2003-04 on grounds of non-submission of documents to prove Indian citizenship, but also migrants who avoid being registered as electors in the constituency where they are ordinarily residents, only to retain their vote in their "native" place and state or where they own a house.

"For example, if you ordinarily reside in Delhi but own a house in Patna, your vote should be registered in Delhi," CEC Gyanesh Kumar told TOI.It is a common practice in states, such as Bihar and UP, where outmigration is high, for migrants to retain their vote in their native places, reports Bharti Jain.Bihar poll rolls revision bid to end 'vote journeys' Some of these migrants have been living away from their native places or where they own a house for years, but travel back during an election to vote in their home constituency.

In fact, some political parties even pay for their travel to their native place to secure votes," said an EC functionary.The special intensive revision of electoral roll in Bihar is aimed at putting an end to this trend, which is a violation of the laid down law. "An elector must choose the MLA or MP of the constituency where he is ordinarily resident and which is where he lives and works," said the functionary.Section 20 of Representation of the People Act, 1950, says a person shall not be deemed 'ordinarily resident' only on the ground that he owns or is in possession of a dwelling house therein. It adds that a person absenting himself temporarily from his place of ordinary residence shall not by reason, thereof cease to be ordinarily resident.