The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Election Commission in the case related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Delhi. In the petition, questions have been raised on the process of issuing notices to voters and the information being given in it on the basis of 'logical discrepancy'. The next hearing of the case will be after two weeks. The petition states that notices have been sent to a large number of voters, but they are not being clearly told what kind of discrepancy has been found in their records and what explanation they have to give. The petitioners have sought to clarify the basis and process for including voters in the category of 'logical discrepancy'.
Election Commission opposed the petition
During the hearing, senior advocate DS Naidu opposed the petition on behalf of the Election Commission. He said that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are providing full assistance to the voters and necessary information is being given to them. Under Delhi SIR, notices have been issued to about 33.13 lakh voters in categories like 'no mapping' or 'logical discrepancy'. Of these, about 19.33 lakh voters are in 'Logical Discrepancy' and about 13.80 lakh voters are in 'No Mapping' category.
Prashant Bhushan raised questions
During the hearing of the Delhi SIR case, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, on behalf of the petitioners, raised questions on the process of the Election Commission. He said that about 47 lakh names have been excluded from the draft voter list, while notices have been sent to about 33 lakh voters included in the draft list. Prashant Bhushan told the Supreme Court that the complete information about the names of the voters who received notices and the reasons for sending them notices has not been made public. He raised the question as to what is the basis for keeping a voter's record in the category of 'no mapping' or 'logical discrepancy'. The petition demands transparency regarding this process.
Draft list reduced from 1.45 crores to around 97 lakhs
According to Prashant Bhushan, before the launch of SIR, there were about 1.45 crore voters in the voter list of Delhi. About 47.56 lakh names were not included in the draft voter list released on August 31. After this, about 97 lakh voters remained in the draft list. At the same time, it has been told by the Election Commission that a large number of people left out of the draft list are those voters who were not found at the old address during verification or who had moved to another place. The Commission has also kept the cases of dead voters and cases where names are registered at more than one place, in separate categories. The court has sought a reply from the Election Commission on the petition filed in the Supreme Court regarding the SIR process. The next hearing of the case will be after two weeks.
Why did 33 lakh voters get notice?
The issue of issuing notices to about 33.13 lakh voters included in the draft voter list under Delhi SIR is now before the Supreme Court. The records of these voters have been kept in categories like 'No Mapping' or 'Logical Discrepancy'. The petitioners say that merely using words like 'no mapping' or 'logical discrepancy' does not make it clear what kind of problem or discrepancy has been found in the records of the concerned voter. He argues that the voters receiving the notice should get clear information on the basis on which clarification is being sought from them. The petitioners have demanded from the Supreme Court that the names of all the voters who received notices and the reason for sending them notices should be made public. Apart from this, information about the rules, criteria and technical process used to determine 'logical discrepancy' should also be put forward, so that there is clarity regarding the process.
Big names also included among those who received notices
During the SIR process in Delhi, names of many well-known people have also appeared in the list of those who received notices. These include the names of former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Apart from this, names of many senior officers have also come to light. The names of many senior former officers including former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan and former Air Force Chief NAK Brown have also been mentioned among those who received the notice. However, receipt of SIR notice does not in itself mean removal of the name from the voter list. The person concerned is given an opportunity to submit documents related to his identity, address and eligibility. For example, after Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta received the notice, her documents were scrutinized and her eligibility was approved after her records were found to be correct.
Opportunity for voters to register their names in the voter list
Currently, the process of issuing notices and registering claims and objections is going on under SIR in Delhi. In such a situation, people whose names are not in the voter list or who have received notice under SIR are being given a chance to prove their eligibility and get their names registered in the voter list. The name-wise list of voters to whom notices have been issued and the reasons for issuing notices have been made available on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi and District Electoral Officers. Apart from this, this information can also be seen at the places designated by the Election Commission. Special camps are also being organized for disposal of notices.
Special camps will be held again on 27th September
For the convenience of voters, special camps will be organized at all the polling stations on Sunday, September 27 from 10 am to 5 pm. By reaching these camps, voters will be able to get the notices related to SIR resolved and submit the necessary documents. According to the CEO office, senior citizens, women and disabled voters can contact their Booth Level Officer (BLO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) for any assistance. Apart from ERO, additional AERO are also being deployed in all the assembly constituencies for the convenience of voters.
Special camp for the homeless on 23rd and 24th
There are a large number of people in Delhi who do not have homes. Special camps will be organized for such homeless people, transgenders and sex workers on September 23 and 24 from 5 pm to 9 pm. These camps will be set up at night shelters of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and other possible locations for homeless citizens in Delhi.
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