Back on voter list? EC orders special drive for left-out, new voters in states where SIR over

The Election Commission has directed state election officials to launch a special drive to identify and register eligible voters who were left out of electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), according to a PTI report.

The exercise will also cover first-time and young voters in areas where the electoral roll revision has already been completed. The Commission's instructions were issued after a virtual meeting with state Chief Electoral Officers.

The move comes amid criticism from Opposition parties over the SIR exercise and allegations that eligible voters were excluded from electoral rolls.


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EC asks officials to identify voters missing from final rolls

The Election Commission has emphasised that voter registration is an ongoing process and that eligible citizens should not be left out simply because their names were not included during the SIR enumeration.

As part of the special drive, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been asked to compare the current electoral rolls with lists prepared before the SIR. This will help identify voters whose names appeared in earlier rolls but were missing from the final list.

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The BLOs will then carry out house-to-house verification of the identified voters.

BLOs given one-month target for verification

According to PTI, each BLO has been assigned a target of covering 20 to 25 electors every week, with the verification exercise expected to be completed within a month.

Officials will also collect Form 6 applications from eligible young voters and genuine cases of people who were left out of the revised rolls.

The lists will subsequently be shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties, a step the Commission said would help maintain transparency in the process.

Opposition raises concerns over SIR voter roll revision

The special drive comes against the backdrop of Opposition criticism of the SIR exercise. Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of working in tandem with the BJP and of disenfranchising eligible citizens through the revision process.

Data shared by the poll authority and state election officials showed that the combined electoral rolls in nine states and three Union territories had been reduced by 10.2% following the SIR exercise. More than 60 lakh deceased voters were also removed from the rolls.

The Opposition's criticism comes amid protests over the functioning of the Election Commission and demands for accountability over the SIR exercise.

EC says SIR decisions were taken unanimously

The decision to conduct the special inclusion drive also comes amid reports of differences within the Election Commission over decisions linked to the SIR.

The Commission, however, has maintained that all decisions relating to the exercise were taken unanimously.

With the latest instructions, election officials in areas where the SIR process is complete will now focus on identifying eligible voters who may have been left out, while also facilitating registration of new and young electors.


Inputs from agencies