Mumbai, Sep 22 (IANS): The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday alleged that serious irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state could result in the exclusion of a large number of eligible voters, posing a threat to democratic participation.
In a representation submitted to Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam, the party pointed to discrepancies in draft electoral rolls, large-scale deletions of names, and delays in implementation of the revision process.
Led by state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, the delegation claimed that out of Maharashtra’s 9.78 crore registered voters, over 2.06 crore names, accounting for 21.14 per cent of the electorate, have been shifted to the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO) category.
The party further alleged that nearly 40 lakh voters added during the 2024 elections had been removed over the last 22 months. It also claimed that more than 1.22 crore voters have received notices due to unmapped links with the 2002 electoral rolls or other data-related anomalies, potentially putting genuine voters at risk of exclusion.
The Congress also alleged that duplicate entries continue to exist despite the revision exercise. Citing an example from Nagpur district, the party said around 25,000 duplicate names were found across the Kamthi, Hingna, Ramtek, Umred, Saoner and Katol Assembly constituencies.
It further claimed that the distribution of physical notices to voters was delayed by 15 to 20 days, affecting the effectiveness of the revision process.
According to the party, the ongoing claims and objections period, running from August 31 to September 30, coincides with major festivals such as Janmashtami, Bail Pola and Ganesh Utsav, reducing public participation.
It also expressed concern over the workload on school teachers serving as Booth Level Officers (BLOs), saying election-related duties alongside academic responsibilities could adversely affect both the revision process and educational activities.
In its memorandum, the Congress sought a two-month extension of the revision exercise to enable voters to complete registrations, file Form 6 applications and respond to notices.
The party also demanded broader acceptance of commonly available identity and citizenship documents, including ration cards, MGNREGS job cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, school leaving certificates, assessment extracts and gazette notifications for married women.
The party additionally called for mandatory notices and in-person hearings in cases where voter status is challenged through Form 7, arguing that such measures are necessary to uphold principles of natural justice.
It also recommended doorstep hearings for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and medically unfit voters.
Among other demands, Congress sought the appointment of Assistant BLOs at polling booths with more than 600 voters and the daily online publication of booth-wise data relating to Forms 6, 7 and 8 received during the claims and objections period.
The party maintained that unless corrective measures are taken urgently, the Election Commission’s objective of ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded while preventing ineligible entries may be undermined.
