SP MLA Rais Shaikh Seeks Two-Month Extension For Maharashtra SIR Deadline Over Voter Roll Discrepancies

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has requested a two-month extension to the September 30 deadline to address discrepancies in the draft electoral rolls published by the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Shaikh claims that thousands of eligible voters are missing from the draft rolls, despite having submitted registration applications and valid documents.

He has written a letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer, detailing several errors that emerged during the revision exercise. Shaikh argues that these errors have resulted in names of eligible voters being omitted from the draft rolls, even though they had submitted the necessary forms and received acknowledgment receipts. Furthermore, he alleges that voters affected by discrepancies or "no linkage" have not received any communication from election authorities, leaving them uncertain about their inclusion in the final rolls.

The problem is particularly acute in Bhiwandi, Madanpura, Mankhurd, and Govandi. Shaikh also pointed out server-related issues on the Election Commission's website and mobile application, which he claims are hindering citizens from submitting forms or tracking their applications. He further noted that booth level officers (BLOs) are reluctant to work during the festival holiday period.

Shaikh demands that voters with SIR acknowledgment receipts be included in the final rolls, pending applications be processed immediately, and an offline, in-person application drive be conducted to resolve issues with the online system.