Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai raised alarms over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, pointing to the deletion of 2 crore voter names in Maharashtra. He demanded accountability and called for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai on Monday raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that several issues raised regarding the exercise have not been adequately addressed and demanding accountability for the concerns surrounding the process.
Desai said reports and comments by Election Commission officials had brought several issues related to the SIR to light, but alleged that the Election Commission did not provide explanations on the specific concerns raised. He said, “Several issues have come to light regarding the SIR, and none of the points raised have been refuted. Two responsible Election Commission officials commented on the matter, and reports, such as the one published by the Indian Express, were also carried. Subsequently, the Election Commission held a press conference, yet there was no explanation or response regarding the specific comments and concerns that had been raised. People want to know what is happening.”
Voter Deletion in Maharashtra Sparks Outcry
Desai further raised concerns over the deletion of voters’ names in Maharashtra, saying the development had created anxiety among voters and calling for someone to take responsibility for the situation. “Look at how the SIR has been conducted in every state. In Maharashtra, for instance, we have around nine crore voters, and two crore names were deleted. People are worried, and voters are anxious. This has caused anxiety among the public and voters. Who is accountable for this? Someone must take responsibility and be held accountable. The Chief Election Commissioner should accept responsibility for the errors that have come to light and resign. That is why the protest march is taking place tomorrow,” he added.
EC Internal Rift Allegations Surface
The controversy came after a report in The Indian Express said, “Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period regarding decisions concerning electoral rolls, voter registration and the Commission’s technology systems.”
However, the Election Commission has rejected suggestions of an internal rift and maintained that all decisions taken by the poll panel, including those related to SIR, were unanimous and had the approval of all three commissioners.
Supreme Court Scrutinizes Form 6 Changes
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6 being used for enrolment of new voters during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said the court would examine the record to ascertain who had introduced the changes after the Election Commission claimed last week that the new declaration attached to the online Form 6 had been approved by the apex court.
“Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let’s be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified it,” the CJI observed.
The clarification came while hearing a plea filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi seeking prosecution of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other officials over alleged unilateral decisions concerning the SIR exercise.
The controversy concerns a new declaration in Form 6 requiring applicants to state whether they or their parents were mapped in the previous SIR. The requirement was not part of the earlier Form 6 used during SIR exercises in other States. (ANI)
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