EC gives SIR-excluded voters second chance in 7 states; Congress cries ‘wrongful deletion’

In an order issued on November 6, the poll panel directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland to facilitate the inclusion of voters categorised as Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD).

The decision applies to electors who were issued enumeration forms but whose completed forms were not received by the authorities, resulting in their exclusion from the draft electoral rolls.

The fresh directive effectively provides a second opportunity for such voters to establish their eligibility and secure a place in the final voter lists.

How can excluded voters reapply?

The Election Commission has outlined different procedures for electors seeking to be included in the final rolls.

Those who could not submit forms: Electors who have not shifted residence can submit their completed enumeration forms along with a written explanation for the delay.

Those who have changed addresses: Voters who have shifted within the same state can submit their enumeration forms with their new address, assembly constituency details and supporting address proof. A separate Form 8 application will not be necessary.

Homeless electors: Those without address documents can rely on the Booth Level Officer's (BLO) field verification report as proof of residence.

Fresh enrolment applicants: Electors who have already submitted Form 6 for fresh enrolment during the SIR exercise will not need to submit another enumeration form.

EC directs BLOs to reach out to excluded electors

The poll panel has instructed election officials to make fresh enumeration forms available to the affected voters and undertake extensive outreach to ensure they are not left out.

Booth Level Officers have been directed to contact electors through house-to-house visits, WhatsApp, email and SMS.

Additionally, booth-wise lists of excluded electors, along with the reasons for their exclusion, will be displayed at polling stations and designated local government offices. The lists will also be uploaded to the websites of the respective Chief Electoral Officers.

Applications will be examined by Electoral Registration Officers under Rule 21(1) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Those whose applications are accepted will be included in the final electoral rolls, retaining their existing Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers.

'Another U-turn': Congress attacks Election Commission

The Congress was quick to criticise the Election Commission's latest directive, describing it as another U-turn and a belated admission of wrongful deletion and exclusion of eligible voters.

The Opposition party reiterated its demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation or removal and called for the scrapping of the SIR exercise.

"Every new set of orders begs the question: what was the point of this bureaucratic mess that every Indian has been put through?" the Congress said.

It further alleged that repeated clarifications and amendments exposed the "true intent" behind the exercise, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of being caught out.

SIR controversy continues amid Supreme Court scrutiny

The Special Intensive Revision has triggered a political confrontation, with Opposition parties accusing the Election Commission of removing the names of crores of eligible voters from electoral rolls at the behest of the BJP.

The poll panel has defended the exercise, maintaining that the revision has been validated by the Supreme Court.

The BJP, meanwhile, has dismissed the Opposition's allegations, accusing it of refusing to accept electoral setbacks.

The issue of providing opportunities to voters excluded during the SIR exercise is also under consideration before the Supreme Court, adding another dimension to the ongoing political and legal debate over the revision process.