This article provides a factual account of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in India, focusing on the objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the concerns about new voter list, and its impact on elections.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began in India with the aim to ensure a more accurate and updated voter list. However, this process has been met with controversy due to objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
One key concern is the exclusion of voters from draft electoral rolls. For instance, during the third phase, more than six crore names have been excluded in various states such as Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and the national capital. The claims and objections against these exclusions are currently being heard.
Appeals were allowed to be filed before tribunals against decisions taken during the exercise. Of the 38.2 lakh appeals filed in West Bengal, 22.2 lakh were filed by voters whose names had been deleted from the electoral rolls. These 22.2 lakh appeals make up around 82% of the 27 lakh voters whose names were deleted and placed under adjudication during the revision ahead of the Assembly polls.
In August, Sandhu wrote to officials asking who had authorised the filing of the appeals ‘on behalf of [the Election Commission] and by whom’ and ‘who actually filed these appeals on behalf of [the poll panel]’. However, neither Sandhu nor Joshi were informed about the basis or process of filing the appeals.
The Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission’s authority to conduct the SIR, stating that it ‘advances the constitutional imperative of free and fair elections’. However, the court also clarified that the poll panel’s inquiries into an individual’s citizenship status for the purpose of including them in the voter list do not mean it can decide on whether the person is an Indian citizen.
Source:
Scroll.in
