नवीनतम
SC asks EC to furnish details of 65 lakh deleted voters
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to furnish the details of around 65 lakh electors left out from the draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar by August 9.
The matter was heard by a bench comprising justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh.
The bench asked the counsel for the poll panel to furnish the details of deleted voters, the data which has already been shared with the political parties, and give a copy to the NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms, which was represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan.
The bench told Bhushan that the reason for deletion would come in a subsequent time, as the poll body has only published a draft list. The bench also told Bhushan that it is beginning hearing on a batch of petitions, challenging the June 24 order of the poll panel, on August 12, and the NGO can make its submissions on that day.
Bhushan argued that some political parties have been given a list of deleted voters, but the poll body has not clarified whether the said voter is dead or has migrated.
"You (ECI) file a reply by Saturday and let Mr Bhushan look at it, and then we can see what is disclosed and what is not disclosed”, the bench told the counsel, representing the Election Commission of India.
Bhushan contended before the bench that 75 per cent of voters, who have filled the enumeration form, have not furnished any supporting documents mentioned in the list of 11 documents and their names were included on the recommendation of the booth level officer (BLO) of the poll panel.
The NGO had challenged the June 24 order of the Election Commission directing for special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The NGO filed a fresh application seeking direction to the poll panel to publish the names of around 65 lakh deleted voters with a mention whether they are dead, permanently migrated or not considered for any other reason.
On July 29, the Supreme Court had said that if several lakhs of people are left out in the publication of draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, then petitioners can bring it to its attention that they are alive and eligible, and stressed that if there is mass exclusion, the court will “immediately step in”.
The bench observed that the ECI, being a constitutional authority, will be deemed to act in accordance with the law, and assured the petitioners’ counsel that the court will hear all their concerns in connection with the SIR process.
The bench observed, “Your apprehension is that 65 lakh odd voters will not feature...they (ECI) are seeking correction vis-a-vis 2025 entry. We are reviewing the thing as a judicial authority…..”, observed the bench.
On July 28, the Supreme Court declined to put on hold the publication of draft electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, saying, “even if the enumeration forms are not uploaded with the relevant documents", the Election Commission of India (ECI) would put names with objections. The apex court had assured the petitioners that it can quash everything the moment it agrees with them and asked the ECI to continue accepting Aadhaar and voter cards, as they have some sanctity, as acceptable documents.
