Mumbai: Emphasising that maintaining clean and accurate electoral rolls is fundamental to a robust democracy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday strongly defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision process in Maharashtra and dismissed the opposition’s criticisms and widespread misconceptions about SIR.
Addressing public concerns amid the ongoing electoral roll cleanup, the Chief Minister in his post on X highlighted that the SIR drive is not a novel or arbitrary mechanism, but rather a routine practice with a decades-long history within India’s electoral framework designed to ensure absolute accuracy and transparency.
To safeguard every citizen’s constitutional right to vote and clear the air regarding ongoing misconceptions, the state administration and election authorities have underlined that the primary intent of the SIR process is to clean and update the voter rolls — not to summarily deprive eligible citizens of their franchise. Voters whose names are missing or incorrectly omitted have been provided renewed windows to apply for corrections, said the CM.
Acknowledging initial gaps in public response, the election machinery has extended timelines for filing claims, objections, and fresh registrations, ensuring that no genuine voter is left behind. Eligible citizens who are first-time voters or whose names do not appear in the draft lists can seamlessly apply through Form 6, noted CM Fadnavis.
Errors concerning names, addresses, or other personal particulars can be officially rectified by submitting Form 8. Clarifying technical apprehensions, CM Fadnavis noted that while advanced tools assist in flagging duplicate or anomalous entries, all statutory decisions regarding inclusion or deletion rest strictly with the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
He urged all eligible citizens across Maharashtra to proactively check their names in the draft electoral rolls via official portals or local Booth Level Officers (BLO), utilise the 1950 helpline for assistance, and complete necessary rectifications before the final lists are frozen.
The state government maintains that weeding out duplicate, deceased, and permanently shifted entries is a non-negotiable step to protect the sanctity of elections and ensure that every valid vote counts. He also appealed to the citizens to check their names and details in the updated Maharashtra voter list and safeguard their right to vote.
Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday further extended the deadline for submitting claims and objections regarding the draft electoral roll in Maharashtra. Citizens can now submit their applications and objections until October 26. However, the final electoral roll will be published on November 16, as per the original schedule.
This extension comes under the ongoing Special Summary Revision programme based on the qualifying date of October 1. The draft electoral roll for the state was officially published on August 31. The window for submitting claims and objections has been active since August 31 and will end on October 26.
The issuance of notices and the resolution/disposal of submitted claims and objections started on August 31 and will continue till November 10. The final voter list will be officially released on November 16.
(IANS)
