Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 2 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday welcomed the Election Commission of India’s directive for a special drive to identify and facilitate the enrolment of eligible voters who were left out of the electoral rolls after the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), saying that “every vote deserves to be heard.”
In a post on X, Shivakumar said the directive followed sustained efforts to ensure that eligible voters were not excluded from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise.
“Following our sustained efforts to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise, the Election Commission of India has today directed a special drive to identify and facilitate the enrolment of eligible voters who were left out after SIR,” he said.
Every Vote Deserves to Be Heard.
Following our sustained efforts to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise, the Election Commission of India has today directed a special drive to identify and facilitate the enrolment of… pic.twitter.com/jOtfDVv3XC
As per the ECI directive issued on Thursday, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and prepare a list of electors whose names were included earlier but are not present in the current roll.
The BLOs will undertake house-to-house visits to ascertain the present status of such electors and facilitate their enrolment through Form 6 wherever they are eligible. The Commission has asked BLOs to cover at least 20-25 electors a week and complete the exercise in about a month.
During the visits, BLOs will also facilitate Form 6 applications for left-out, first-time and young electors identified during the exercise. They will record the present status of each elector and indicate those for whom Form 6 has been filled.
The lists prepared by BLOs will be shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties. BLOs will also submit the lists, filled Form 6 applications and field verification reports to the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who will take appropriate action in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
At the end of the exercise, booth-wise lists will be shared by EROs with representatives of political parties, providing another opportunity to facilitate the enrolment of eligible electors who were left out.
The ECI has also directed authorities to organise booth-level camps to facilitate enrolment, including special camps for people living in night shelters, labour colonies, homeless persons and other marginalised groups.
Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Election Officers (DEOs) and EROs have been asked to undertake awareness and mobilisation activities through educational institutions, local outreach, SVEEP activities, regular press briefings and other suitable platforms.
The Commission has further directed that the progress of the special drive be closely monitored and regularly reviewed at the levels of the CEO, DEO and ERO.
The ECI, in its communication to the CEOs of all States and Union Territories, said the special drive was being undertaken for the enrolment of left-out and first-time young electors after completion of SIR.
The Commission said that during the enumeration phase of SIR, each BLO had prepared a list of Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) voters, along with the probable reason for non-inclusion of their names.
These lists were displayed on notice boards of respective Panchayat Bhawans, urban local bodies and offices of BDOs, Panchayat officers and ULB officers. They were also shared with BLAs and political parties and uploaded on the respective CEO websites.
The ECI said the draft electoral roll was subsequently published and shared with political parties and uploaded on the CEO website. The final electoral roll was published after decisions on claims and objections by EROs and included the additions and deletions made after publication of the draft roll.
The Commission also stated that voter enrolment is a continuous process and any person who has not yet been enrolled in the electoral roll or whose name has been deleted can apply for enrolment at any point in time.
“The objective of the special drive is to identify and facilitate such electors,” the Commission said.
Earlier on Thursday, Shivakumar urged Congress MLAs, elected representatives and party leaders to remain vigilant and closely monitor the exercise in their respective areas.
“The electoral roll is the foundation of our democracy. I urge all our MLAs, elected representatives and Congress leaders to remain vigilant and closely monitor the exercise in their respective areas,” he said.
“If you come across any irregularity or any eligible voter being left out, take it up with the concerned authorities and seek appropriate action. Let us ensure that the ECI’s directive is implemented effectively and that every eligible citizen gets a fair opportunity to be on the electoral roll,” he added.
His remarks come amid controversy over Form 7 applications during Karnataka's SIR exercise. Form 7 is used to request deletion of a voter's name from the electoral roll in cases such as death, permanent shifting of residence, duplicate registration or ineligibility.
Under the SIR process, voters can file claims and objections regarding entries in the electoral rolls. The Election Commission's process includes verification and hearings before the final electoral roll is prepared.
CM Shivakumar has previously raised concerns over the conduct of the SIR exercise and called for measures to ensure that genuine voters are not excluded from the electoral rolls. (ANI)
