Lucknow: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s name has been removed from Lucknow Municipal Corporation voter list.
“He has not been living here since 2004. As per rule, if a person doesn’t live at local address for over six months, his name is removed,” Zonal Officer Ashok Kumar Singh informed ANI.
Vajpayee was a registered voter of Babu Banarasi Das ward, but due to health issues, he left his Lucknow residence situated in Bas Mandi area.
Vajpayee had last cast his vote in the municipal election in 2000, and in 2004 in the Lok Sabha election.
Associate of Vajpayee, Lalji Tandon remarked that the Municipal Corporation should have taken consideration of the former PM’s ill health and not removed his name from the voters list.
“Everyone knows that Atal jee is unwell and cannot come here to vote, and because he is part of Lucknow’s history, Municipal Corporation should have taken consideration of this fact and not removed his name,” Tandon said, and added that the name should have remained in the list as a sign of respect.
Tandon informed that the former prime minister has been temporarily staying in Delhi, and if an election comes up he will now vote in Delhi.
The 92-year old leader has not been keeping well and is absent from public meeting for quite some years now.
Vajpayee served as the prime minister of India from 1998 to 2004.
—ANI