A Maharashtra Minister's Struggle to Vote in Navi Mumbai Till EC Intervened

BJP leader Ganesh Naik was unable to vote in Navi Mumbai due to his name missing from the voters’ list.

Name Missing in Navi Mumbai Voter List, Maharashtra Minister Struggles to Vote

(Photo: PTI)

Maharashtra Forest Minister and senior BJP leader Ganesh Naik was unable to cast his vote in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) elections on 15 January 2026. Naik reported that his name was missing from the voters’ list at the designated polling centre. Despite being a regular voter at Navi Mumbai School No. 94, he was redirected to St Mary's High School, where his name was also absent from the list, preventing him from voting.

Naik was able to cast vote only after Election Commission officials intervened.

According to The Indian Express, Ganesh Naik stated that his family members and relatives, who reside in the same building, found their names split across three different polling centres. He alleged that the State Election Commission was responsible for the confusion and described the situation as indicative of broader issues affecting ordinary voters.

As highlighted by Financial Express, the incident occurred during voting for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Navi Mumbai.

“If a minister like me can face a situation where his name is missing from the voters’ list, then one can imagine what might be happening to common voters,” Ganesh Naik told reporters.

In the middle of the day, reporting indicated that other voters in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai also experienced confusion and delays due to missing names and lack of voting slips. Some polling stations reported long queues and frustration among citizens unable to locate their names on the electoral roll.

Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.