Ranchi: For 45-year-old Kokar resident Pinky Devi, the publication of the draft electoral roll on Wednesday brought an unwelcome surprise: her name was missing.Pinky and her husband, Rajesh Kumar Rajak, had submitted their enumeration forms to the booth level officer (BLO) during the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Their two daughters and son are not yet eligible to vote. While Rajesh’s name appeared on the draft roll, Pinky’s did not.“The BLO did not flag any error while accepting our forms. We were assured that both names would be included, but mine has been dropped,” she said.Pinky said she was registered as a voter in Bihar before her marriage and had cast her ballot there several times. She later transferred her registration to Jharkhand and voted in multiple elections, including the 2024 assembly poll.Unsure about the possible consequences of the omission and the process for getting her name restored, Pinky plans to approach the BLO.A similar omission has unsettled another Kokar household. Of four registered voters in the family, three found their names on the draft roll. The fourth, a 43-year-old man, was left out.“I filled in the forms for my wife, mother and brother, and all their names appeared. I have voted in every election since 2002, and my name was also on the 2003 voter list. I do not know why it was dropped,” he told TOI, requesting anonymity.Though aware of the procedure for filing an objection, he fears another error could keep him off the final roll. “If my name is missing again, I don’t know what I will do,” he said.State chief electoral officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar clarified Wednesday that omission from the draft roll does not amount to final deletion.The Election Commission will organise special enrolment drives on Aug 8, 9, 22 and 23 for omitted electors, first-time voters and eligible residents temporarily staying outside Jharkhand who wish to remain registered in the state.
