Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Oct 8: In a setback to thousands of first-time voters in the city, teenagers who turned 18 after the cutoff date fixed for voter registration will not be able to cast their vote in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Many Gen Z voters have voiced their frustration over being unable to register on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) portal despite repeated attempts. The issue stems from the cutoff date for enrolment being set prior to the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November 2024, with no special summary revision carried out since then.
Speaking to India Today TV, Maharashtra Joint Chief Electoral Officer Mandar Parkar clarified: “The cutoff for dates was before the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections, and it is in existence till date, so the new voters who turned eighteen after that date cannot register.”
The Supreme Court has directed that the BMC elections must be held before January 31, 2026, but the electoral roll remains frozen, leaving out thousands of new voters.
Several young residents narrated their struggles. One teenager said, “I turned 18 this year. I tried registering my name on the Election Commission’s portal to vote in the BMC elections, but the site doesn’t accept dates of birth after October 1, 2006. Despite submitting all documents at the poll body’s office, I was told to keep trying online until the dates are revised. So far, nothing has worked.”
Political leaders have taken note of the matter. Ravi Raja, ex-Congress leader and former Leader of the Opposition in the BMC, said, “I have received complaints from families whose children turned 18 and couldn’t register their names on the electoral roll. I will raise this issue with our senior party leaders and the Election Commission officials to resolve it.”
Youth leaders also expressed disappointment. Avneesh Tirath Singh, Congress leader and Mumbai chief of the North Indian Cell of the party, said, “Young people vote after careful thinking and evaluation, and it is unfortunate that first-time voters are being excluded from the civic polls. This shows that the government is ignoring the voices of the youth.”
The disenfranchisement of thousands of new voters just months ahead of the crucial civic body elections has sparked debate on the need for timely updates to electoral rolls to ensure inclusivity in the democratic process.