Dead voters could fall through cracks in SIR process
The ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls does not have any safeguards against inclusion of deceased persons, despite the oft heard allegations in the
The ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls does not have any safeguards against inclusion of deceased persons, despite the oft heard allegations in the city about inclusion of dead voters on the rolls. In the name of purifying the rolls, the Election Commission of India has enforced mapping of electors in the current rolls with the previous SIR rolls from 2002, and listed an array of anomalies against which notices will be served, but dead voters could slip through the cracks left wide open by the process. As per the directions from the ECI, any adult member can fill up and sign the enumeration form on behalf of other family members, which gives ample scope for irregularities.
The Booth Level Officers not paying house to house visits makes it more complicated, as the form can be returned filled and signed by anybody. While the relation has to be mentioned while signing on others’ behalf, anybody with malafide intentions may sign off impersonating the deceased voter, and the current process does not have any foolproof way to stop such occurrences. This carries much significance in the context of allegations about deceased voters deliberately being made part of the electorate. Congress leader Feroz Khan had specifically flagged this concern in 2024 before the Lok Sabha elections alleging that dead voters existed on the rolls. He produced evidence for his claims, showing death certificate of a old woman who passed away in 2022, but continued to exist in 2024 rolls as a 102-year-old voter.
In 2022, he pegged the number of deceased voters on the rolls at over 15,000. While he used the data to level allegations against a rival political party, a large number of filled in forms are being now submitted by the Booth Level Agents too, who represent various political parties. According to the Election authorities, a BLA is allowed to submit up to 30 enumeration forms to the BLO concerned in a day. A total 11,398 BLAs have been appointed from seven political parties so far to assist over 4,000 BLOs. Hyderabad District Election Officer and Commissioner of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation R.V. Karnan said action will be taken against persons who wilfully submit the enumeration forms of the dead.
Voters are being marked dead only after the BLO uploads the death certificate, he asserted. A total 4,79,405 persons have been listed under the Absent, Shifted and Dead (ASD) category as on July 28, while the numbers in each sub-category will be known only at the end of Enumeration phase on August 3. “After the draft rolls are published, people may lodge complaints about inclusion of dead voters if any. Action will be taken against those responsible,” Mr. Karnan assured.
The BriefWire