Ahead of the upcoming BMC polls, a software has been developed by a Mumbai based entrepreneur that provides a community-wise breakup of registered voters using information from the state election commission’s website. As per reported by Times Of India, around 300 aspirants including 80 sitting BMC corporators have purchased the software to gain the information of various wards arranged on the basis of community lines.
The software uses the updated voter list from the election commission’s website and converts it into searchable database using different parameters. The software can do a global search for the ward for a particular surname or address. Ahead of the BMC polls, the software is in demand as candidates are using it to classify into various community categories on the basis of caste and religion and this allows them to access the composition in the respective wards and help the aspirants to make strategies on the basis of the composition of the respective wards.
According to TOI, software could even narrow down the total number of voters in a family or a particular building. Apart from the upcoming BMC polls, the software is also in demands in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
The Supreme Court of India on January 2 had ruled that seeking votes on the basis of caste, race, community, language or religion by any candidate will be a corrupt electoral practice rendering the person open to disqualification. The order has widened the scope of section 123 (3) of the Representation of People Act to “maintain the purity of the electoral process” and to avoid “mixing religion with state power”.
State chief election commissioner J S Sahariya, speaking to TOI about the use of technology matter stated that “There is a Supreme Court guideline on the issue. We have no idea about the software but we will inquire about it.”
However, contestants of the upcoming civic polls facing changes on ground are still interested in the technology to study the caste and community in their respective wards to make strategies on the basis of the composition of the respective wards.
[Source:-India]