Delhi Election Commission Initiates Special Camps for Voters Affected by Home Demolitions

The Delhi Election Commission announced on Wednesday that it will be conducting special camps aimed at ensuring that voters who have recently lost their homes are not excluded from the ongoing intensive revision of electoral rolls. This initiative comes in response to rising concerns regarding the potential deletion of names from the electoral rolls during the voter registration process.

The Commission has instructed 20 states and Union Territories, where this revision exercise has concluded, to undertake a special effort to enroll individuals who have been inadvertently left off the electoral rolls. Reports indicate that in Delhi alone, approximately 4.77 million voters have been removed from the draft electoral rolls, leaving a total of 9.75 million voters on the list. This significant number represents about 33% of the electorate in the Union Territory.

Voters removed from the list were categorized under several headings, including those marked as deceased, permanently relocated, absent, duplicate entries, and a vague “other” category, which has raised questions about the criteria used for these classifications. The verification process for these cases is set to be completed by October 29, with the final electoral rolls expected to be published on November 4.

In a bid to facilitate the re-registration of affected voters, the Delhi Election Commission has scheduled special camps at schools and universities throughout the capital on Wednesday and Thursday. Following this, additional camps will be held at all polling stations on Friday and Saturday. The Commission emphasized the importance of these initiatives to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised.

The move reflects a broader effort by the Election Commission to enhance voter participation and safeguard the democratic process, especially for those whose living situations have been disrupted. As the deadline for finalizing the electoral rolls approaches, the Commission is making concerted efforts to address the needs of those impacted by recent demolitions, thereby reinforcing the integrity of the electoral process in Delhi.

Source: scroll.in