Rajesh was born in Punjab, where his parents and ancestral home still were. But after getting a job, he moved to Delhi and made Delhi his ordinary residence.
When elections came, Rajesh told his friend, “I’m from Punjab, so I should be able to vote there.”
His friend explained, “Being originally from Punjab or owning a house there doesn’t by itself give you the right to be registered there. Voter registration is based on where you are ordinarily resident.”Under the Representation of the People Act, a person can be registered in only one constituency, and generally must be ordinarily resident in that constituency.
So if Rajesh is ordinarily resident in Delhi, he should be registered and vote in his Delhi constituency. He cannot simply keep a Delhi voter registration and claim another voter registration in Punjab. The Election Commission explicitly says that a person cannot be enrolled as a voter at more than one place.
However, if Rajesh has actually shifted his ordinary residence to Punjab, he can apply to have his voter registration shifted there. The ECI provides Form 8 for shifting residence/correction of electoral-roll entries.
In short: “I am originally from Punjab” is not enough. “Punjab is my ordinary residence” is what matters.
If by “claim his vote in Punjab” you mean claiming a disputed/omitted name during a Punjab electoral-roll revision, tell me the situation and I can explain that specific case.
Referance:Legislative.gov.in,Election Commission of India
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