ECI Orders Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls in 8 assembly seats

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a special summary revision (SSR) of the electoral rolls in eight assembly constituencies across six states, including a Union territory, where bypolls are due this year. The poll body has kept April 1 as the qualifying date for publication of draft electoral roll, and May 5 for the roll, with a special focus on engagement with the political parties during the revision process, people aware of the matter said.

Assembly by-elections are due in Kadi and Visavadar constituencies in Gujarat; Nagrota and Budgam seats in Jammu and Kashmir; Kaliganj in West Bengal; Tadubi in Manipur; Nilambur in Kerala; and Ludhiana West in Punjab. The bypoll dates are yet to be announced.

“...the Commission has directed a Special Summary Revision under the Representation of the People Act, with reference to April 1 as the qualifying date, in the following assembly constituencies where by-elections are due shortly,” the ECI wrote in a letter dated March 26 to the chief electoral officers (CEOs) of the six bypoll-bound states.

The measure comes at a time when opposition parties have levelled allegations of elector fraud and manipulation against the poll body. ECI in a special drive, earlier this month, directed CEOs of all states and UTs to engage with political parties for disposal of any issues.

In its March 26 letter—on the engagement with political parties and sharing of electoral rolls— the poll body said that the district election officers will get the revision schedule properly disseminated to media, political parties, and social organisations and “reach out to electors/eligible population extensively well before the date of draft publication of electoral rolls”.

The commission also directed that the EROs shall share a list of claims and objections to all political parties on a weekly basis. It added that the booth level officers will go through the draft electoral roll with booth level agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties in the state concerned and identify the corrections to be carried out.

“With a view to ensure more involvement of political parties, the Commission has allowed BLAs of recognised political parties to file applications in bulk,” the letter said.

For the last few years, the ECI has been conducting the annual SSR from October through January across the country. Between the final publication of electoral rolls in January until the next publication of draft roll in October, pre-revision exercises take place where Booth Level Officers conduct house to house surveys to identify dead, shifted electors along with the eligible people who are not enrolled. As the draft rolls are published for public viewing, copies are given to the political parties and published also at each polling station. In the next stage there is a filing of claims and objections where opportunity is given to the electors to appeal, in case of any wrongful deletions, along with other required corrections. The final roll is then published and given to all political parties.

Earlier the commission had explained that during a year when assembly election is due, a second Summary Revision may be conducted with respect to the qualifying date proximate to the said general election.

“We want to go aggressive in identifying all repeat EPICs to purify the electoral roll,” an official said, requesting anonymity.