Kerala SIR sparks fears of large-scale voter exclusion as deadline nears
The Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have so far issued notices to about 37 lakh people out of 2.54 crore included in the draft voters' list.
The Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have so far issued notices to about 37 lakh people out of 2.54 crore included in the draft voters' list.
The Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have so far issued notices to about 37 lakh people out of 2.54 crore included in the draft voters' list.
Thiruvananthapuram: The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered fear that lakhs of citizens will be dropped from the voters' list in poll-bound Kerala as the deadline for submitting validating documents draws closer.
The number of voters who have been asked to produce the necessary documents to validate their inclusion in the list has almost doubled the number of the electorate in the draft rolls. The Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have so far issued notices to about 37 lakh people out of 2.54 crore included in the draft voters' list.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) had earlier said that notices would be issued to 19.32 lakh people. Of the 37 lakh voters, only 13.5 lakh have received the notices. This has raised concern that many voters may face expulsion from the final list, since the Block Level Officers (BLOs) must clear their names or the commission must hold hearings before February 14.
Kerala's situation becomes more complex considering the exclusion of 3.66 lakh voters from the list after the draft was published in Bihar, where the SIR process had run into a major controversy.
Notices are being issued even to those whose names and details carry spelling mistakes, besides those voters who could not provide information matching the 2002 electoral rolls. Though the Opposition has approached the Election Commission against this, EROs are responsible for making a final decision on avoiding the hearing.
Collectors can act against BLOs
The Election Commission of India has said District Collectors can suspend BLOs refusing to accept applications for including names in the voters' list or correcting the provided information. The CEO could also initiate suo motu action against such BLOs.
The Collector could recommend action against erring BLOs to their department heads, and the Election Commission must be informed of the action taken within six months. Collectors could also order the registration of criminal cases against BLOs. However, it should be done only with the CEO's permission.
Meanwhile, complaints have been raised that BLOs were not accepting applications forwarded through political parties' booth-level agents.