Karnataka EC ambassador Rahul Dravid won’t be able to vote after name is deleted from voters list

Rahul Dravid, who is the Karnataka state Election Commission’s ambassador, will not be able to vote in the ongoing General Elections after his name was deleted from the voters’ list when he moved homes, according to The Times of India.

Dravid and his wife Vijeta had moved from Indiranagar to Ashwathnagar in Bengaluru and did not submit the form for inclusion of their names to the sub-division office of Mathikere, where their new house is located, the report said.

The former cricketer’s brother Vijay submitted the form to have their names deleted from the electoral list on October 31, 2018. While family members can submit the form to have one’s name deleted from the voters list, a voter himself has to submit the form to have their name included in the electoral roll, according to The News Minute.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer KN Ramesh told The News Minute, “He [Dravid] had to submit Form 6 before March 16, otherwise nothing can be done.” March 16 is when the final electoral list in Bengaluru came out. “We came to know about this only after we finalised the electoral rolls. Our officials must have visited his home and if he had then informed us that he had got his name deleted from the Indiranagar list, we could have done something.”

Mathikere sub-division assistant electoral returning officer Roopa told The Times of India that booth-level officers had visited Dravid’s house.

“Our officials visited his house twice, but we were not allowed inside. We were informed Dravid is touring abroad and there is no message from him to include his name in voters’ list,” Roopa said.

Ironically, the former India captain and current coach of the Under-19 and A team was part of the Election Commission’s campaign to encourage people to vote. There are posters of him asking people to cast their vote.

However, Domlur sub-division assistant electoral returning officer Basawaraju Magi said there is still a chance that Dravid can vote. “Dravid was in Spain, but was very eager to vote. Unfortunately, his name got deleted from the Shantinagar assembly constituency. I have told him if he still wants his name to be included in Shantinagar list, he needs to submit Form 6, which can be done once the EC allows it after April 23.”

Bengaluru will vote on April 18. The General Elections are being held in seven phases, between April 11 and May 19. Results will be out on May 23.