Mumbai, Sep 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid voters exclusion during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday urged the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S. Chockalingam to extend the deadline for submitting claims and objections, streamline the hearing process, and ensure complete transparency in updating the electoral rolls.
State Congress General Secretary Sandesh Kondvilkar submitted a formal representation to the Maharashtra CEO highlighting critical lapses and key demands to safeguard voting rights.
According to data cited in the letter, out of Maharashtra's total registered voter base of 9,78,54,049, names of 2,06,88,487 voters (21.14 per cent) have been excluded from the draft electoral roll under the "ASDD – Uncollectable" (Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate) category.
The current draft list includes 7,71,65,562 voters (78.86 per cent), which still contains a significant number of "Anomalies" and "Unmapped" voter entries.
Despite prior representations and discussions in all-party meetings, several critical concerns remain unaddressed.
"The current window from August 31 to September 30 for submission of claims and objections is inadequate, especially given the upcoming Ganeshotsav festival when many citizens travel to their hometowns. The party has demanded an extension until November 30, 2026," the letter said.
It also demanded that a complete booth-wise list of voters identified under "Anomalies" and "Unmapped" categories -- who are scheduled to receive notices -- should be published immediately and provided to representatives of political parties.
Notices to voters who submitted enumeration forms should be delivered physically in person rather than solely through digital platforms like WhatsApp.
Hearings should be organised at respective local polling stations rather than restricting them to just three to four centralised locations per Assembly constituency, the letter said.
According to the Congress, minor differences between English and Marathi spelling variations of voter names should not be classified as "Anomalies".
"Clear operational guidelines must be issued regarding anomaly corrections without subjecting voters to notices. If a voter listed under the ASDD category re-claims their status, verification should be conducted directly via the Booth Level Officer (BLO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) without calling them for redundant formal hearings," the Congress said.
The Congress has also demanded that independent desks should be established for fresh registrations to provide Form-6, Declaration forms, and Form 8, along with clear guidelines on the maximum number of applications a Booth Level Agent (BLA) can submit at once.
If a claim or objection is rejected after a hearing, a written order stating the official grounds must be issued to the voter within two days to enable timely appeals.
Senior citizens served with notices should be granted priority during the hearing sessions where entries for deceased or duplicate voters persist despite submitted enumeration forms and evidence, thorough re-verification must be conducted.
Kondvilkar noted numerous complaints regarding the non-compliance of Election Commission directives by BLOs and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers on the ground.
To restore public faith, the Congress has requested regular information sharing with political party representatives to ensure no eligible citizen is disenfranchised from the electoral process, he added.
Source: IANS
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