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Supreme Court Scrutiny Intensifies Over Election Roll Revision
The Election Commission changed voter lists through an exercise called a special intensive revision.
The Supreme Court has now asked the Commission to respond to concerns about the process.
The article says the Court disputed the Commission’s claim that a change to a voter registration form had already been approved.
It also reports that many people in West Bengal were removed from the voter list.
More than 22 lakh of them asked tribunals to put their names back.
Two judges, one current and one former, raised concerns about people losing their chance to vote.
The editorial argues that the Court should carefully examine what happened.
It says voter lists should be handled in a way that protects people’s rights.
The Supreme Court issued notice to the Election Commission of India over its special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
The article says the Court contradicted the Commission’s claim that changes to Form 6 requirements had received Supreme Court approval.
The editorial cites Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Rohinton Nariman as criticizing the revision’s potential effect on voters’ rights.
In West Bengal, about 90 lakh names were removed from the rolls, and more than 22 lakh voters sought re-entry through tribunals, according to the article.
The article says the Court had earlier allowed elections to proceed in West Bengal and argues it should examine the consequences of the roll changes.
- Who
- The Supreme Court of India and the Election Commission of India; the article also cites Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Rohinton Nariman.
- What
- The Supreme Court issued notice to the Election Commission over its special intensive revision of electoral rolls and disputed a claim about approval of Form 6 changes.
- Where
- The revision is described as nationwide, with specific discussion of Bihar and West Bengal.
- When
- The article does not give a date.
- Why
- Petitions and concerns about voter removals and the process used to revise electoral rolls prompted legal scrutiny.
Election Commission’s account
Supreme Court’s position as reported
Form 6 requirement changes
Election Commission’s account
The Election Commission claimed that changes to requirements for submitting Form 6 by new voters had been cleared by the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court’s position as reported
The article says the Supreme Court contradicted that claim.
Key facts
- Election exercise
- Special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
- Election Commission head cited
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- West Bengal names removed
- About 90 lakh, according to the article
- West Bengal re-entry requests
- More than 22 lakh voters sought re-entry through tribunals
- Earlier state named
- Bihar was the first state to roll out the exercise, according to the article
- Document mentioned
- The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as one document supporting a voter's claim to remain on the list
Sources
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