EC Orders Drive To Restore Left-Out Voters
BLOs to cross-check pre-SIR rolls, conduct house-to-house verification: Reports
NEW DELHI: Amid Opposition allegations that the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had resulted in the exclusion of large numbers of eligible voters, the Election Commission has directed state poll officials to launch a special drive to identify and enrol “left-out” voters in states and Union territories where the exercise has been completed. The drive will also cover first-time and young voters who are yet to register.
The instructions followed a virtual meeting with state Chief Electoral Officers. The Commission stressed that voter enrolment was a continuous process and that eligible citizens who were not included during the SIR enumeration could seek inclusion in the electoral rolls.
Booth level officers (BLOs) have been asked to compare the current electoral rolls with pre-SIR lists and prepare booth-wise details of electors whose names figured earlier but are now missing. They will conduct house-to-house verification to establish whether such persons remain eligible for enrolment.
Each BLO has been assigned a target of covering 20 to 25 such electors a week, with the exercise expected to be completed within a month. BLOs will also identify first-time and young voters during their visits and facilitate the submission of Form 6 applications for inclusion in the rolls.
The booth-wise lists will be shared with booth level agents of recognised political parties and electoral registration officers. The EC has also directed officials to organise special camps, including for people living in labour colonies and night shelters, homeless persons and other marginalised groups.
Opposition parties have accused the Commission of working in tandem with the BJP and alleged that the SIR exercise resulted in the disenfranchisement of eligible citizens. The EC has rejected suggestions that its decisions on SIR were divided, maintaining that the rollout and subsequent decisions were approved unanimously by the Commission.
According to data cited by the poll authority and state election officials, the combined electoral rolls of nine states and three Union territories were reduced by 10.2 per cent following the SIR, with more than 60 lakh deceased voters removed.
The Commission has said SIR has so far been completed in 20 states and Union territories and that any eligible voter left out during or after the exercise can apply for inclusion under the continuous updation process.