EC reopens voter enrolment for wrongly deleted names in seven states; Bengal left out

New Delhi: Nov 7: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has restarted the enumeration process for voters whose names were wrongly deleted from electoral rolls under the categories of Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD), following an oral suggestion from the Supreme Court. However, the fresh opportunity will benefit voters in seven states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is still underway, leaving West Bengal out of the exercise.

The Election Commission has communicated the decision to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland, directing them to provide fresh enumeration forms to voters who were incorrectly classified as ASDD.

The move follows an oral observation by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, suggesting that the poll panel accept enumeration forms from voters who were wrongly excluded from the electoral rolls.

According to the Commission's communication, the initiative is intended to provide affected voters with one more opportunity to have their names included in the final electoral rolls. District Electoral Officers (DEOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been instructed to make every possible effort to contact such voters through Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and ensure that enumeration forms reach them either physically or electronically.

Affected voters can also download and fill in their enumeration forms through the Election Commission's website or the ECINET application by entering the same Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number that existed before their names were deleted.

However, applicants will have to submit the forms along with Annexure-B, explaining why they could not submit their enumeration forms during the earlier exercise.

The Commission has not specified a deadline for the second round of enumeration, stating that the exercise would continue during the ongoing claims and objections period.

An elector who has already submitted Form 6 for fresh enrolment during the SIR need not submit the enumeration form again, the Commission clarified.

West Bengal excluded from fresh opportunity

The decision has triggered questions over the exclusion of West Bengal, where the SIR process has already been completed. The state recorded 58.21 lac deletions under the ASDD categories, the second-highest figure among states that went to the polls this year, after Tamil Nadu, which recorded 97.38 lac such exclusions.

Since enumeration forms can be submitted only during the SIR exercise, voters in West Bengal who were wrongly classified as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate will not benefit from the latest decision. They will have to apply through Form 6 for fresh registration under the continuous updation process.

Activists have pointed out that many voters classified as shifted had merely moved to new addresses or migrated to other states in search of employment. Although voters were required to inform the Election Commission about changes in their addresses, several failed to do so because of a lack of awareness, resources or access to the necessary procedures.

The exclusion has renewed allegations that West Bengal has been subjected to unequal treatment in the implementation of SIR-related corrective measures.

Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier taken several voters to Delhi who claimed that they had been incorrectly declared dead and consequently deprived of their voting rights during the revision exercise.

22 lac voters await tribunal decisions

The Election Commission had announced several corrective measures in September, including home visits by BLOs instead of issuing summons for hearings and special enrolment arrangements for voters whose names had been wrongly deleted.

However, these measures did not extend to approximately 22 lakh voters in West Bengal who had challenged their exclusion before tribunals established under the directions of the Supreme Court.

The tribunal proceedings have reportedly progressed slowly, leaving thousands of affected voters uncertain about the restoration of their voting rights. These voters could not participate in the April Assembly elections or two subsequent by-elections and are now concerned that they may also be unable to vote in the forthcoming civic elections.

West Bengal witnessed substantial deletions during the claims and objections period and the subsequent adjudication phase, a separate category introduced specifically for the state following Supreme Court directions.

The final electoral roll in West Bengal was approximately 15.9 per cent shorter than the pre-SIR voter list.

Among other states, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of exclusions from the draft electoral rolls at 2.89 crore, followed by Karnataka with 1.08 crore.

Congress calls decision a U-turn

The Congress has described the Election Commission's latest decision as a ‘U-turn’, pointing out that the poll panel had consistently maintained that Form 6 was the only available route for voters whose names had been deleted.

The renewed enumeration exercise comes amid mounting criticism of the Election Commission following revelations in late September that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had reportedly raised objections to the manner in which the SIR was being conducted under chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

On September 26, the Commission had tacitly acknowledged the possibility of wrongful exclusions, stating in a press release that people left out during the SIR could apply for inclusion through the continuous updation process.

On Tuesday, the Commission reiterated its position, which had also been upheld by the Delhi High Court, that Form 6 could be used for the inclusion of voters whose names had been deleted, despite the requirement that applicants declare themselves as first-time voters.

Delhi voters recount difficulties

Delhi recorded the lowest enumeration rate during the SIR, with only 67.22 per cent of the enumeration process completed. Nearly 47.57 lac names were excluded from the draft electoral rolls published on August 31.

Amid complaints of wrongful deletions, particularly in densely populated working-class neighbourhoods, the Delhi chief electoral officer had already initiated special enrolment camps. The office also conducted a re-verification exercise last month to examine complaints from voters excluded from the draft rolls.

Several affected residents have alleged that their names were removed despite their continued residence at the addresses recorded in their voter identity cards.

The latest decision has provided relief to wrongly excluded voters in seven states where the SIR remains underway. However, the exclusion of West Bengal has raised fresh questions about the uniform implementation of the electoral revision process and the difficulties faced by voters seeking restoration of their democratic rights.