'Tharoor flouted norms to enter voters' list' --When Normal people struggling to get into voters' list

As reported by M K Sunil Kumar in expressbuzz.com on 26 August 2010:
'Tharoor flouted norms to enter voters' list' | Shashi Tharoor | | Indian Express

'Tharoor flouted norms to enter voters' list'

KOCHI: Shashi Tharoor, who lost his ministerial berth as a result of the IPL controversy, is courting yet another controversy after information gathered through the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed that his name was included in the voters list flouting norms.

An RTI application submitted by Kochi-based RTI activist Khalid Mundappilly, seeking details of inclusion of Tharoor's name in the voters list, proved that Tharoor was included in the list even though he could not establish that he had been a resident for six months at the address furnished in the application for including his name in the voters list. According to the information, Tharoor entered into an agreement with K Padmakumar on behalf of Preetha Sivakumar, the owner of house, TC9/227(2)), on October 27, 2008, for taking the house on rent.

It was on the same date that he submitted the application for including his name in the electoral rolls. According to The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA), a person should be the resident of a particular place for at least six months to get his or her name included in the voters list from that place.

Moreover, there were anomalies in the manner in which the residential certificate was issued to him. The purpose of issuing the residential certificate, according to the records, was to produce it before the city rationing officer for getting a ration card.

The councillor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation from Kowdiar division had given a letter to the secretary of the local body, recommending the issuance of the residential certificate. According to that letter, the purpose of the certificate was to submit it for obtaining the ration card. The Corporation authorities, on November 11,2008, issued a certificate stating that Shashi Tharoor is an ordinary resident of T C 9/277 (2), Vembanad House, Golf Links Lane, Kowdiar, Sasthamangalam. Based on the these documents,the Thiruvananthapuram Tahsildar, who is also the electoral registration officer of the area, including Vattiyoorkavu Legislative Assembly segment, under which Kowdiar falls, approved inclusion of Tharoor's name in the voters list.

It was on the merit of his name being entered in the electoral rolls that Tharoor was able to file his nomination for Thiruvananthapuram parliament constituency in the 2009 general elections.