D coupled: Tale of two families battle to vote indiatimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indiatimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
QUESTION OF RIGHT TO FRANCHISE
GUWAHATI: Gouranga Barman (54) and his wife Anjana Barman (49) of Kamrup metropolitan district had been declared D Voters (those whose citizenship is in doubt) in 1997. After a long legal battle, they were finally declared Indian citizens by a foreigners’ tribunal in March last year.
But even after a year, their names have not been included in the new electoral rolls, which might result in their not being able to vote even in this election. Their son, though, is hopeful. “My father had voted a few times before he was marked a D Voter in 1997. We are hopeful that we can exercise franchise this time, though we aren’t sure how long it will take for our names to be included,” said Sukumar Barman (32), the son of the Barman couple.