Pune: Protect Voters’ Rights During SIR, Probe Election Commission’s Functioning, Says Samvidhan Jagar Abhiyan

The Samvidhan Jagar Abhiyan, a group of former judges, activists, and social workers, has demanded greater transparency in Maharashtra's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and an inquiry into the functioning of the Election Commission of India. The SIR process must be transparent, impartial, and accountable, with safeguards to prevent the exclusion of eligible voters from the electoral roll, according to the organization.

In Maharashtra, there are approximately 9.78 crore voters, out of which about 2.07 crore have been categorized as "Uncollectable Enumeration Forms." These voters have been deemed "Permanently Shifted" (75.52 lakh) or "Absent/Not Found" (76.80 lakh). The group clarified that these categories do not automatically lead to the deletion of a voter's name and that they will be subject to verification and a prescribed claims-and-objections process.

Former Bombay High Court judge B.G. Kolse Patil emphasized that the SIR process should not be used to deprive any eligible citizen of their constitutional right to vote and that proper notice, verification, opportunity to respond, and a transparent claims-and-objections process must be ensured before deleting a voter's name. The organization also called for awareness about the SIR process and the difficulties voters may face during verification.