The case of Shakuna rani and her husband exposes a glaring loophole in India’s voter registration system and the lax oversight of the election Commission. Shakuna rani reportedly holds three active voter ID cards, all registered in the Mahadevapura constituency of Bengaluru. Her husband’s situation is even more startling — he possesses three active voter ID cards from completely different regions: one in Bengaluru, one in Kanpur, and a fresh one in Bihar. This means both of them have the ability to cast multiple votes in different jurisdictions, blatantly undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
What’s even more alarming is the timing. As bihar gears up for its assembly elections, her husband is allegedly preparing to use one of these duplicate voter IDs to participate in the polls. This is not just an individual-level offense; it’s a symptom of a systemic failure where the authorities either lack the tools or the will to prevent such fraud.
While such individuals easily accumulate multiple valid IDs, millions of genuine, law-abiding citizens are trapped in bureaucratic red tape — struggling for months or even years to get just one functional voter card. Address changes, name corrections, and new registrations often face endless delays, leading to disenfranchisement of honest voters.
The election Commission’s inaction in such cases raises serious questions about accountability. When duplicate or fraudulent voter IDs are left unchecked, it fuels the very “votechori” — or vote theft — that erodes public trust in elections. Turning a blind eye to these practices doesn’t just harm the fairness of a single election; it chips away at the foundation of democracy itself. Without strict verification, a robust cleanup of voter rolls, and visible punitive action against offenders, such incidents will continue to thrive, leaving the honest voter at a perpetual disadvantage while emboldening those who exploit the system.
What’s even more alarming is the timing. As bihar gears up for its assembly elections, her husband is allegedly preparing to use one of these duplicate voter IDs to participate in the polls. This is not just an individual-level offense; it’s a symptom of a systemic failure where the authorities either lack the tools or the will to prevent such fraud.
While such individuals easily accumulate multiple valid IDs, millions of genuine, law-abiding citizens are trapped in bureaucratic red tape — struggling for months or even years to get just one functional voter card. Address changes, name corrections, and new registrations often face endless delays, leading to disenfranchisement of honest voters.The election Commission’s inaction in such cases raises serious questions about accountability. When duplicate or fraudulent voter IDs are left unchecked, it fuels the very “votechori” — or vote theft — that erodes public trust in elections. Turning a blind eye to these practices doesn’t just harm the fairness of a single election; it chips away at the foundation of democracy itself. Without strict verification, a robust cleanup of voter rolls, and visible punitive action against offenders, such incidents will continue to thrive, leaving the honest voter at a perpetual disadvantage while emboldening those who exploit the system.
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