Election Commission Orders Review of Voter Lists to Reinstating Eligible Voters

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed electoral officers in states that recently completed a special intensive revision of electoral rolls to perform an additional review. This initiative aims to reinstate eligible voters who may have been inadvertently removed from the voter lists through the use of Form 6.

This directive, issued on Thursday, comes in response to growing concerns from political parties, activists, and civil society regarding the ECI’s operations and its management of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Criticism has been particularly pointed, with calls for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar due to alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

Adding to the controversy, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi pointed out that Form 6 is designated for new voters only and cannot be utilized by those whose names have been removed from the rolls. He expressed his views on social media, warning that individuals compelled to fill out Form 6 risk committing a criminal offense, potentially facing a year in prison. He labeled this directive from the ECI as an instance of abetting such offenses, further igniting the debate over the commission’s credibility.

In line with the new directive, booth-level officers (BLOs) will be tasked with meticulously comparing the revised electoral rolls against the previous versions. Their goal is to identify individuals who were listed in the pre-SIR rolls but are absent from the current lists. This thorough examination is expected to ensure that those who are eligible to vote are not unjustly excluded from the democratic process.

Furthermore, the Election Commission has mandated that booth-level officers conduct a house-to-house survey to verify the eligibility of voters. This grassroots approach aims to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the electoral rolls, alleviating concerns regarding voter disenfranchisement. By taking these steps, the ECI hopes to bolster public confidence in its electoral processes and address the criticisms it has faced over recent months.

Source: scroll.in