Mumbai: In a bombshell revelation that has caused ripples across Maharashtra’s political corridors, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday exposed over 11 lakh duplicate entries in Mumbai’s voter list, hinting at a deeper malaise possibly tied to former Opposition corporators in high-duplication wards.
With Mumbai boasting 1.03 crore registered voters, the SEC’s audit uncovered a staggering 10.64% anomaly — 1,101,505 names repeated across rolls, some as many as 103 times. “This is unprecedented for a metropolis of Mumbai’s scale,” a commission official remarked, attributing the mess to outdated data integration and lax record updates. The probe found 4.33 lakh unique names duplicated 2 to 103 times, raising concerns about electoral integrity ahead of the civic polls.
The scandal deepened with high-profile catches: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and ex-Mayor Kishori Pednekar found her name in two lists, quipping, “I’m hunting for more duplicates — my building neighbours face the same plight. Even ordinary citizens like me are scattered across rolls.” Similarly, MNS department chief Manish Dhuri decried the errors: “My sister’s photo pairs with a stranger’s name; in my area, mismatches abound.”
In response, the SEC swiftly extended the objection filing deadline from November 27 to December 3, pushing the final list release to December 10. Opposition voices, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, slammed the findings as evidence of systemic sabotage, demanding a thorough purge.
As Mumbai braces for scrutiny, this voter ghost hunt could reshape the electoral battlefield — exposing not just clerical blunders but potential foul play in the city’s power plays.