India · New Delhi
Supreme Court Questions Election Commission Over Voter Rolls
In brief
India’s Supreme Court on Monday demanded answers from the government, the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls, and said it had never approved a modified version of Form 6.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant heard petitions seeking action against the Chief Election Commissioner. According to Bar and Bench, the petitions followed an Indian Express report alleging that several SIR decisions were taken by the CEC alone despite objections from the two other election commissioners.
Form 6 is the form first-time voters use to join the electoral roll. During the SIR, an extra declaration was added asking applicants whether they, a parent or a grandparent appeared on an earlier roll. In a press note on September 26 the Commission said this declaration had been upheld by the court. On Monday the Chief Justice said the court had not approved any modified Form 6 and wanted to see who made the change. India Today reported that Commission sources maintained the original form was not altered and that the declaration was an additional page under a protocol first used in Bihar.
The Times of India reported that the bench also said decisions of the three-member Commission must be unanimous or by majority, and that it would annul decisions that did not meet that standard. The Guardian reported that the revision has removed about 130 million names so far and has triggered protests in several cities, while the Commission says it is removing duplicate, dead and ineligible entries.
Why it matters
The case goes to the heart of who can vote in the world’s largest democracy. The court’s next steps could affect how voter lists are revised before upcoming state elections and how the Election Commission takes decisions.
Sources
- Bar and Bench: We did not approve Form 6 modification: Supreme Court contradicts ECI’s claim
- The Times of India: SIR row: Will annul Election Commission orders not in keeping with law, says Supreme Court
- India Today: Haven’t changed a comma, EC sources clarify after SC’s Form 6 remark
- The Guardian: India’s supreme court demands answers over changes to voter roll
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