Delimitation Fallout: Families Split, Identities Mixed Up in Panchayat Election

The Panchayat elections in the Shyamacharanpur-Sheowaratola Zila Parishad constituency, located along the Assam-Mizoram border, witnessed widespread confusion due to errors and disruptions following the recent delimitation process. From reshuffled polling centres to absurd clerical mistakes, voters were left confused, frustrated and in some cases unwilling to cast their vote.

Locals reported that family members were sent to different polling stations despite living under the same roof. In one instance, five members of a household were assigned to three separate centres. Many elderly voters like Mirzan Ali were seen wandering for hours in search of their booths. “I’ve voted in the same place for years,” he said. “Now I don’t even know where my vote is.”

The confusion didn’t end there. One man discovered his name listed as the father of his own father in the voter ID, a mistake that stunned residents and added to the growing anger.

In another troubling incident from Islamabad, a man reported that while his name appeared correctly in the local voter list, his wife’s vote had been shifted to Lokhnathpur. According to him, the couple had always voted together in both Assembly and Parliamentary elections but the Panchayat polls puzzlingly moved them apart. “We have always voted at the same booth. Why this sudden change?” he questioned.

Locals allege that improper verification during the delimitation process and the failure to publicly release updated polling centre lists have led to mass confusion. Many voters spent hours trying to find their booths, while some gave up entirely.