Actress and television host Gauahar Khan has expressed her frustration and disappointment after her name went missing from the list of potential voters at a Mumbai polling booth. Gauahar, who stepped out to vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Monday afternoon, found herself unable to cast her vote despite possessing an Aadhar card.
In a video shared by a paparazzo on Instagram, Gauahar is seen exiting the polling booth. She did not stop to pose for photographers, instead commenting on the “very confusing” and “badly organised” situation inside. Gauahar also took to her Instagram stories to share her ordeal through a series of videos.
“I really have an appeal. Why do we have Aadhar cards if we are not considered citizens enough to vote? Your Aadhar card is your identity that you are an Indian citizen and you should be able to vote with that,” she stated in the video. Gauahar further explained her frustration, “But when you go to voting counters with our Aadhar cards and ID proofs, they say you cannot vote because your name is not in the list. I’m just making a humble appeal that on the basis of your Aadhar card, you must be allowed to vote as an Indian citizen.”
Highlighting the chaos at the polling booth, she added, “Why are we being denied our right to vote just because the survey they’ve done doesn’t have your name? It has names of people who are not even living in the building. Here, people are fighting and going berserk because they have their IDs but the survey does not have their names. That is the most basic deprivation of your rights.”
Polling for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Monday morning across 49 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs) amid tight security and arrangements. In Maharashtra, including six constituencies in Mumbai, polling has been underway since 7 am. Despite these extensive preparations, incidents like the one experienced by Gauahar Khan underscore ongoing issues with voter registration and the need for a more inclusive approach to ensure every eligible citizen can exercise their right to vote.
