“Hajabba” or “Harekala Hajabba”? Padma Shri awardee gets SIR notice over name mismatch

Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba, the orange seller-turned-educationist from Karnataka, was issued a notice by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls over a name mismatch in voter records.

The discrepancy arose because Hajabba’s name was recorded simply as “Hajabba” in the 2002 electoral roll for the Mangaluru (then Ullal) Assembly constituency, NDTV reported. However, all his current identity documents—including the Aadhaar card, ration card, passport, and updated voter ID—carry the full name “Harekala Hajabba", which also appears on his Padma Shri award citation and other honours.

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During SIR verification, booth-level officers flagged this as a “logical anomaly” and served him a notice on Monday, asking him to appear before the Harekala gram panchayat on September 11 with original documents to explain the variation. An anganwadi worker delivered the notice at his residence as part of routine field verification under the ECI’s intensive roll revision exercise.

Notice withdrawn after intervention

The notice drew immediate attention after news of it spread, urging election officials to take timely action. Within hours, a team led by the village assistant visited Hajabba’s house, collected copies of his identity and award documents, and withdrew the discrepancy notice.

Officials told Hajabba they would examine the records and update the electoral roll accordingly, sparing him the need to appear in person for verification. Ashwini, village assistant of Harekala gram panchayat, said the mismatch occurred because his name was initially registered as “Hajabba” and later updated to “Harekala Hajabba,” leading to the SIR flag.

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From orange vendor to Padma Shri

Harekala Hajabba, around 70, rose to prominence for saving money from selling oranges in Mangaluru to fund the construction of a government primary school in his native village. His work in promoting accessible education earned him national recognition, including India's fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri in 2020.