ECI extends SIR amid poll panel row
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday extended the SIR deadline in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya days after relaxing it in the national Capital. The decision was taken by the full bench of the poll panel comprising the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the ECI said in a statement.
This is the second time the full bench of the commission has following reports of objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi over aspects of Special Intensive Revision (SIR), including changes to voter-enrolment forms, the functioning of its electoral-roll-management software and changes in responsibilities within the commission.
After its first meeting on September 26, the poll panel asserted that orders relating to the SIR had the unanimous approval of all three commissioners.
Wednesday’s meeting came on a day when the INDIA bloc announced a protest against the poll body on October 2 and reiterated its demand for the resignation of the CEC.
The panel also withdrew the additional SIR-related declaration from the online voter enrolment Form 6 in States where the SIR of electoral rolls has been completed. The declaration required new applicants to furnish details linking themselves or their parents or grandparents to electoral rolls prepared during an earlier intensive revision
The poll body has extended the schedule for SIR Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya to October 16 and October 26, respectively, for the publication of the final voter lists. Earlier, the date for the publication of the final voter list was October 9 for Andhra Pradesh and October 21 for Meghalaya.
The decision comes days after the ECI announced a series of measures.
Kumar is the first CEC who has been threatened by the Opposition of impeachment over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls. CEC and Election Commissioners can only be removed by Parliament the way a sitting Supreme Court judge can be impeached.
According to the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the CEC or an Election Commissioner may, at any time, submit a written resignation to the President.
