Election Commission row intensifies over SIR, internal objections and ‘vote theft’ allegations

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NEWS AGENCY KASHMIR NEWS TRUST #KNT

The controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India has intensified following allegations by opposition parties over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, reported internal differences within the poll panel and demands for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The controversy gained fresh momentum after a report on internal Election Commission records said two of the three Election Commissioners had recorded objections on 14 occasions over about 10 months concerning aspects of the electoral-roll revision and related decisions.

The Election Commission rejected the characterization of the differences as evidence of improper functioning, saying differing views and observations were part of institutional deliberations. The poll panel said decisions taken during the past year, including those concerning electoral-roll revision and SIR, were unanimous decisions of the full Commission.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Left parties, have nevertheless intensified their criticism of the poll panel. They have alleged that the SIR process could result in eligible voters being removed from electoral rolls and have demanded the removal of Kumar.

The controversy has focused particularly on Delhi, where more than 31 lakh electors were issued SIR notices after discrepancies were identified in electoral records. The Election Commission has maintained that issuance of a notice does not automatically mean deletion from the electoral roll and provides an opportunity for the concerned elector to submit documents and establish eligibility.

The Supreme Court has also examined aspects of the electoral-roll revision process. In proceedings concerning SIR, the court has dealt with categories of electors described as unmapped or having logical discrepancies and directed that affected persons be given opportunities to submit documents and objections.

The court has subsequently sought an explanation from the Election Commission regarding the basis for notices issued under the logical-discrepancy category during the Delhi SIR exercise.

The issue triggered protests by Congress units in several parts of the country on Friday, with demonstrators demanding action against the CEC and raising concerns over the electoral-roll revision. Congress legislators also staged a protest inside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The Election Commission has continued to defend the SIR exercise and its decision-making process, while opposition parties have called for greater transparency and scrutiny of the electoral-roll revision.

The dispute over the poll panel’s functioning, the SIR process and the treatment of discrepancies in electoral rolls is now being examined simultaneously in the political arena and through judicial proceedings. [KNT]