Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Sep 28: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has alleged irregularities in the verification process under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, claiming that the number of voters excluded from the draft electoral roll could eventually rise from 2.07 crore to nearly three crore.
Pawar alleged that in some places Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted “table surveys” instead of physically verifying voters, with information allegedly being provided by BJP workers. He claimed that such instances had come to light in Pune, Nashik and Thane and questioned why no action had been taken despite complaints being submitted to election officials.
“Out of the 1.22 crore under scrutiny, some people will definitely be disqualified, and the figure of 2.07 crore deleted voters could increase further and may even reach three crore,” Pawar said.
According to official data released during the SIR exercise, Maharashtra had 9.78 crore registered voters, while enumeration forms relating to 2.07 crore voters could not be collected. Officials have attributed the uncollected forms to reasons including voters being deceased, untraceable, permanently shifted or having duplicate entries.
The Election Commission has clarified that the 2.07 crore figure should not be treated as the final number of deletions. Voters whose names are missing from the draft roll can seek their inclusion through the claims and objections process.
Pawar expressed concern over the large number of excluded or unverified voters and claimed that some of the 1.22 crore electors whose records are under scrutiny could also eventually be left out of the electoral rolls.
He further alleged that errors continued in voter records even after the SIR exercise, citing instances where living people were shown as deceased and where photographs and gender details did not correspond with voter records.
Pawar also claimed that the verification process had become centralised with the Election Commission and alleged that decisions concerning voter additions and deletions could now be taken from Delhi. These claims were made by Pawar and were not independently established in the reports reviewed.
He said he had submitted evidence and suggestions to Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam regarding whether physical verification had actually been carried out in certain cases in his Karjat-Jamkhed constituency.
Pawar also raised concerns over the ongoing SIR exercise and delimitation, claiming that together they could affect constitutional and democratic processes. He appealed to Opposition parties, social organisations and citizens to come together to protect voting rights and reservations.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has extended the deadline for filing claims, suggestions and objections on Maharashtra's draft electoral rolls to October 12. The deadline for issuing and disposing of notices to the 1.22 crore electors identified for further verification has also been extended to November 10.
The Election Commission had on January 22 launched ECINet, a unified digital platform bringing together more than 40 existing applications and portals to streamline election-related services.