Arvind Kejriwal’s name missing from voters list

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal was on his way to Goa Tuesday but returned from the airport to vote in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections from Ghaziabad only to find his name missing from the list.

Kejriwal, a resident of Kaushambi in Ghaziabad adjoining the national capital who has been in the news for his remarks against the government and politicians in general, had planned to fly to Goa for a rally. He turned back and went to the designated polling booth around 11 a.m. but found he couldn’t vote.

“He went to vote but his name was missing from the voter’s list,” a close aide of Kejriwal told IANS.

Kejriwal and his associates denied reports that he had to be “reminded” to vote.

“I have always voted… The programme for Goa was finalised a month ago and it was our mistake not to keep in mind polling dates at that time,” Kejriwal told reporters outside the polling booth in Kaushambi, part of the areas in western Uttar Pradesh voting in the sixth of the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh elections.

“I talked to the organisers after reaching airport. They said the programme (in Goa) could be postponed, so I came back specially to vote, but my name was not there in the list,” he said.

Kejriwal had a valid voter I-card.

“There was no reminder, how is it possible to force anyone to vote,” Kejriwal’s associate told IANS.

In a comment that attracted huge criticism, Kejriwal had recently said that “rapists, murderers and looters” were sitting in parliament.