‘Ramhit Yadav’ became ‘Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara’: UP voter list has some bizarre names after incorrect software translation, including ‘B.Com’ as a father’s name

Uttar Pradesh’s digital electoral roll system has produced bizarre entries, including a voter name that reads ‘Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara’ and another elector whose father’s name is recorded as ‘B.Com’. The discrepancies have prompted an inquiry ahead of polling for 11 Legislative Council seats on Friday, October 23, according to PTI.

Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said on Thursday that 158 entries among 14.81 lakh electors across graduate and teachers’ constituencies contained unusual details. Several errors were attributed to software translating names into Hindi rather than reproducing their sounds, while at least one appeared to involve human error.

The controversy has raised questions about how incorrect records passed verification in a system introduced to replace manual electoral roll preparation.

How ‘Ramhit Yadav’ became ‘Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara’

Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’ constituency was among those where unusual entries came to light. One record reportedly listed a voter as ‘Ram Ne Yadav Ko Mara’, while another contained ‘Ram Ne Sharma Ko Mara’ as a father’s name. A separate entry showed ‘B.Com’ in the father’s name field.

Rinwa explained that the election software was designed to transliterate names entered in English into Hindi. Transliteration reproduces a word’s pronunciation in another script, whereas translation converts its meaning into another language.

For example, if ‘Ramhit Yadav’ was mistakenly entered as ‘Ram hit Yadav’, the software could interpret the words as a sentence and translate them into Hindi as ‘Ram ne Yadav ko maara’, meaning Ram hit Yadav.

The platform included an editing facility to correct such mistakes, but some incorrect entries remained in the final electoral rolls. Rinwa said the entry showing ‘B.Com’ as a father’s name appeared to be the result of human error or negligence.

158 unusual entries among 14.81 lakh voters

158 such unusual entries were found among the 14,81,310 electors registered across the graduate and teachers’ constituencies.

The discrepancies attracted attention after lists containing unusual names and family details circulated on social media. Political parties also raised concerns, prompting the election office to respond.

An inquiry conducted by Jhansi Divisional Commissioner Vimal Kumar Dubey confirmed errors in the electoral rolls.

However, the clarification did not establish whether every mistake originated in an application, during data entry, through automated processing or because an official failed to correct it. The figures also do not explain how the entries passed through verification.

UP’s first digital electoral roll system

The errors emerged during Uttar Pradesh’s first fully digital exercise to prepare electoral rolls for graduate and teachers’ constituencies.

Developed by the election office’s IT team in about four months, the platform handles voter registration, application processing, approvals and rejections, duplicate checks, serialisation and electoral roll downloads.

Launched on October 1, 2025, the portal allowed eligible applicants to submit registration forms online. Based on the November 1, 2025 qualifying date, 3,43,355 applicants registered online, including 2,91,273 for graduate constituencies and 52,082 for teachers’ constituencies.

The final electoral roll was published online on January 6, 2026, and uploaded to district election officers’ websites. Applications for additions, deletions and corrections were subsequently processed through monthly supplementary rolls, which were also uploaded online and shared with recognised political parties.

The system also allows voters to find their polling stations and electoral roll serial numbers from home using their names or a relative’s name, along with the mobile number supplied during registration. Officials and operators were using the newly developed platform for the first time and had received training, Rinwa said.

What happens if a voter’s name is incorrect?

With polling scheduled from 8 am to 4 pm on Friday, October 23, election officials have been instructed to ensure that clerical or printing errors do not prevent eligible voters from exercising their rights.

During a virtual meeting with election officials, Rinwa acknowledged complaints from political parties and on social media about errors in voters’ names and relatives’ names.

Presiding officers have been instructed to verify the necessary documents and allow eligible voters to cast their ballots. District magistrates will be held responsible if an eligible elector is turned away for such reasons.

Polling is being held for five graduate and six teachers’ constituencies across 72 districts. More than 14.81 lakh electors are eligible to vote at 2,697 polling stations, with 152 candidates contesting the 11 seats.

The immediate priority is to ensure that incorrect entries do not deprive eligible electors of their voting rights. The errors also raise questions about how the election authorities will prevent similar mistakes in future electoral rolls.

Inputs from Agencies