The Election Commission has been targeted by a total of 23 opposition parties who have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) about their concern that electoral rolls are being revised in a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the EC without judicial “authority” and therefore urge immediate intervention of the Judiciary.
The joint letter by leaders of several opposition parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has raised concerns about the continuation of the voter verification exercise, and sought the Supreme Court’s attention over its constitutional and legal implications.
The parties have reportedly disagreed that the Special Intensive Revision would pose a threat to eligible voters if the court didn’t provide the appropriate protection and transparency. They have asked the court to make sure there isn’t a “true voter” who is not allowed to vote this time.
The Election Commission has always stated that the objective of conducting the SIR exercise is to cleanse duplicate, migrated and ineligible voter entries as well as maintain only citizens eligible for elections on the electoral roll. The poll body had said that the amendment is done according to the process and it is taking place in various states with door to door verification and online facilities.
The opposition is on the fence amid increasing political friction over the voter rolls readdition, as a number of parties are calling for more transparency and safeguards. The issue will likely bring another dimension of a legal debate into the current debate over the country’s electoral roll verification exercise.