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Over 350 voters declared ineligible in Delhi SIR
So far, over 350 voters have been declared ineligible at the hearing stage during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Delhi. Of these, about 200 cases are reported from Vikaspuri assembly constituency. This process is going on to check the names registered in the voter list and their eligibility.
According to officials, once a voter is marked ineligible, it is not possible to reverse that decision at the level of ERO or the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi. In such a situation, emphasis is being laid on taking caution in the process of hearing and decision.
The Delhi CEO has warned officials that action to delete the name of a voter should not be taken merely on weak or trivial grounds. Election officials have been asked to look into each case based on available records and prescribed procedure.
Nearly 200 cases in Vikaspuri receive special attention
Of the more than 350 cases deemed ineligible under the SIR, approximately 200 are said to be related to the Vikaspuri Assembly constituency. After this number came to light, attention has also been drawn to the role of the concerned election officials.
Vikaspuri is one of the major assembly seats of Delhi and a large number of voters live here. In such a situation, it becomes important to check the records and the response given by the voter before declaring any name ineligible.
Election officials have to ensure that the documents and other information available during the hearing are considered. The final decision in the SIR process has to be taken as per the prescribed legal process.
CEO cautions against hasty removal of names
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi has clarified that the notice issued during the SIR is not, in itself, an order to remove a voter’s name. Before removing any name, it is necessary to give the concerned voter an opportunity to be heard.
According to the CEO office, a valid and appealable order is also required to remove the name of a voter. This means that merely receiving a notice or finding any discrepancy in the records does not automatically remove the name from the voters list.
This clarification comes at a time when notices have been issued to a large number of voters under SIR and questions are being raised about the process.
Notices in the SIR do not mean deletion of names.
Notices have been sent to voters whose records could not be linked to the previous SIR voter list or whose details were found to have logical discrepancies during the SIR process.
According to election officials, voters who receive the notice can submit their replies and necessary documents to the concerned ERO or BLO. A decision will subsequently be taken based on an examination of the case.
The Delhi CEO office has also said that the prescribed list of documents is not a final or limited list. The ERO can take a decision after reviewing the complete details of the case including the available documents and the BLO report.
The Supreme Court also questioned the notice process.
The Supreme Court has also heard the Delhi SIR process. The court had on September 22 said that some notices prima facie appeared to have been issued in a ‘mechanical’ manner and had sought a response from the Election Commission on the process.
The court also raised the question as to how clear is the process of issuing notices to voters using terms like Aadhaar and ‘logical discrepancy’.
Meanwhile, election officials say the notice is aimed at removing discrepancies in the records. The final decision is to be taken by the concerned ERO based on the hearing and available information.
The final voter list will be released in November.
The process of processing notices and claims and objections under the SIR in Delhi is to be completed by the end of October. After this the process of releasing the final voter list will move forward.
According to the CEO’s office, claims and objections are to be received by September 30, and the processing of notices is scheduled to be completed by October 29. The final voter list is scheduled to be published on November 4.
Therefore, the ineligible cases identified during the SIR process cannot currently be considered equivalent to deletions from the final voter list. The final position will be clear only after the relevant legal process is completed.
The process is under scrutiny after more than 350 cases
Following the discovery of more than 350 voters being disqualified in the Delhi SIR, it will be important to examine the basis for the hearings and record scrutiny in these cases. Especially around 200 cases related to Vikaspuri are under surveillance.
The CEO has advised the officials to avoid taking action on weak grounds. The emphasis is on providing the voter with an opportunity to be heard and a proper procedure for making an order before any change in the electoral record.
The final picture of SIR will be clear after the voter list is published in November. Till then the process of notice, hearing, claims and objections will continue.
