Badgaon Fake Voter List: UDA Encroachers Were Given Notional Numbers, says ERO

Udaipur, Aug 23, 2025: The District Collector, Namit Mehta, responded to the allegations of fake voter names appearing under a single address at the Badgaon Panchayat in Udaipur. In his statement to the media, Mehta said that the findings of the Electoral Registration Officer appointed to look into the complaint has confirmed that the list if not fake. He said that as per the ERO, the named persons were encroachers whose names were registered in the Voter List with notional numbers. He added that the complainants claims of 700 voters being registered under the same address are misleading.

Badgaon Panchayat falls under the Gogunda Assembly Constituency of Udaipur division. In the complaint it was said that the same house number 111 was found against 700 registered voters in the Badgaon Panchayat. The ERO, appointed by the District Collector after receiving this complaints, stated that the named persons are encroachers staying in make shift abodes in the area encroaching upon UDA land. In the absence of a legitimate address, they had been assined notional numbers for inclusion on the voters list.

What is the matter all about?

Earlier this week, the Panchayat Administrator of Badgaon along with his team, had lodged a complaint with the Collectors office during a public hearing, that fictitious names were present in the Badgaon Panchayat Voter List. They claimed with evidence, that 700 names in the Panchayat voting list has the same address against their names. Addressing the gravity of the allegations, the Voter Registration Authority and the Sub-Divisional Officer of Gogunda were given instructions to conduct and investigation immediately. As per the Collector, the initial findings most of the individuals in the said list belong to the economically disadvantaged group and reside unlawfully in temporary shelters put up in encroached land.

The District Collector hence inferred that the names were not fake as they were made out to be, but were added with the above background. He added that based on the initial findings, a comprehensive investigation is being carried out as a precautionary measure.

Complainants Dissatisfied

UdaipurTimes spoke to the complainant, viz. Badgaon Panchayat administrator, who said that the purpose was not to level an allegation against any one person or the administration. He said that an error has been made and gone unnoticed for the past so many years. Further, the area in question registered the lowest voter turnout across Udaipur in both the Vidhan Sabha as well as Lok Sabha elections, which is due to these fake voter names. He added that the purpose of this exercise it to identify the lacuna and take corrective action by eliminating names of voters who are not physically present. He also said, that if the individuals in question had no paper or card documenting their location and domicile, then how can their names be added to the voter list under notional numbers.

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