Delhi. The Election Commission has removed the additional declaration related to SIR from the online Voter Enrollment Form-6 in states that have completed the process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. This decision was taken a few days after the Commission's meeting in which it was decided that this condition would be applicable only during the SIR process.
What was the additional column related to SIR?
Under this declaration, it is mandatory for new applicants to provide details of whether they or their parents or grandparents were included in the electoral rolls prepared during any earlier intensive revision. This announcement is still available on the ECINET portal in those States and Union Territories where the SIR process is ongoing. In states where the SIR process has been completed, the additional declaration portion has been removed from the ECINET app and portal as well as from the portal of the concerned Chief Electoral Officer.
Now what will new voters have to do?
Now applicants seeking enrollment will have to fill only the statutory 'Form 6' prescribed under the 'Voters Registration Rules, 1960'. There were also reports of differences within the Election Commission regarding adding additional declaration related to SIR in Form-6. At the same time, the Election Commission had said in its public clarification that no changes were made in Form-6, but an additional requirement was added during SIR.
The Commission also said that its decisions related to SIR had the unanimous approval of the full Commission. This step has been taken after the September 26 meeting of the full commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Commission took many decisions regarding SIR
After the meeting, the Election Commission had said that the declaration appended with Form 6 was for SIR and “in the non-SIR period, the applicable form will be used as per the rules (Electoral Registration Rules, 1960)”.
The issue related to changes in Form-6 had become a matter of controversy when it came to light that Sandhu and Joshi had objected to the changes made in it.
Form-6 is the statutory form used by eligible citizens to get their names included in the voter list and Joshi had objected to the change in it saying that the form prescribed under the Electoral Registration Rules, 1960 cannot be changed without amending the rules. Sandhu had also agreed to this. After the declaration related to SIR was added in the online Form-6 process on ECInet, Sandhu had again raised objection and demanded its removal, terming it as “unauthorized/illegal”.
Commission's clarification amid reports of objections to decisions
The Election Commission has said in its public statements that no amendment was made to Form-6 and the declaration was an additional requirement related to the SIR. The Commission also said that this declaration was upheld by the Supreme Court in its judgment related to SIR in Bihar. The Commission's decision in this regard came on 26 September.
Commission declared SIR decisions unanimous
This decision of the Commission has come at a time when the English daily 'Indian Express' reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had lodged objections to the decisions and orders on at least 14 occasions in a period of 10 months. He said that some of these decisions were taken without his knowledge. However, the Commission, in its statement dated September 26, had said that the orders related to the SIR had the unanimous approval of the three Election Commissioners.