333 voter ID cards, same address

Every election, there are complaints galore of misrepresentation and malpractice. But with electoral photo ID cards, micro-observers and digital cameras in every booth, Andhra Pradesh is hoping elections will be more fair this time round.

Three hundred and thirty thee youth voters on a single house address in the Amberpet assembly constituency. And it is not a hostel. There is not even a house on this address. That's the complaint brought in by the election agent of the Samajwadi Party candidate.

M Roopender, an election agent for the SP, says: "There is no such house number. If it is a hostel, there should be only one house number. But here the 333 voters have house numbers as 283/1, 283/12, 283/17, etc.''

The Election Commission has said it is not possible to add or delete voters at this stage.

AP's Chief Electoral Officer Subba Rao says: "They must have a voter ID card and we will also keep a digital record of the entire process.''

With a reported 90 per cent photo ID cards issued in Andhra Pradesh, micro-observers deployed and digital cameras to shoot the picture of every voter, the authorities are hoping, complaints this time round may be minimised.