New Delhi/Alive News: The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its decision to ask voters excluded from Delhi’s draft electoral roll to submit Form 6 to get their names included again.
The court raised concerns over around 43 lakh voters whose names were reportedly placed in the “shifted or absent” category during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. It asked why these voters, who were already registered, should have to apply through Form 6, which is meant for new voter registration.
The court also said the Election Commission could not alter Forms 6, 7 and 8, which are prescribed for specific electoral purposes.
Nearly 48 Lakh Names Missing from Draft Roll
Before the SIR exercise, Delhi had around 1.45 crore registered voters. The draft electoral roll published on August 31 included approximately 97.53 lakh names, leaving around 47.57 lakh names out of the list.
The exclusion of a large number of voters has raised questions about the process for restoring their names to the electoral roll.
What Are Forms 6, 7 and 8?
Form 6 is used to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. Form 7 is used to raise objections or seek deletion of a name, while Form 8 is meant for corrections, changes of address and other permitted updates.
Why Is Form 6 Controversial?
The controversy emerged after a report by The Indian Express said two Election Commissioners had objected to changes made to Form 6 for the SIR exercise.
The Opposition has alleged that an additional declaration linked to the revision process was added to the form, creating an extra requirement for new voters.
The issue has now come before the Supreme Court, which questioned the Election Commission’s approach to restoring the names of previously registered voters.
