"Who is responsible?": Chidambaram questions SIR process, ECI over voter re-enrolment
P Chidambaram questions the Election Commission over the cost and process of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and voter re-enrolment via Form 6.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram has raised sharp questions regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, specifically questioning the accountability for the massive expenditure incurred during the process of re-enrolling voters who were previously excluded.
The former Minister questioned why the Election Commission (ECI) did not inform the Supreme Court during the hearings regarding the West Bengal SIR case that voters left out of the rolls could simply re-enrol by filing Form 6.
Allegations of Wasted Resources in West Bengal
Chidambaram highlighted the complexities faced during the West Bengal exercise, noting that lakhs of voters were allegedly excluded from the electoral rolls without following due process. This led to the Supreme Court ordering the formation of tribunals to hear appeals against these exclusions.
Key details from the West Bengal SIR exercise include:
- The Supreme Court ordered tribunals to hear appeals against voter exclusions.
- Tribunals processed approximately 1.26 lakh appeals over six months.
- Between 91% and 93% of these appeals were allowed, restoring names to the electoral rolls.
The Congress leader argued that if re-enrolment is as simple as filing a Form 6, the entire judicial and administrative exercise in West Bengal appears to have been a "complete waste of time and money." He pointed out that while crores of rupees were spent to exclude 13.30 crore names, additional crores will now be required to re-enrol those who were left out.
Political Tensions Escalate
The controversy comes amidst intense political friction. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has also targeted the Election Commission, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Gandhi alleged "vote theft" and noted that thousands of young people have been protesting the current electoral processes.
The tension has manifested in physical demonstrations across major cities:
- Delhi: More than 500 people were detained during protests, including AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, under prohibitory restrictions.
- Mumbai: Demonstrations were held at Shivaji Park by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demanding transparency in the electoral-roll revision.
The INDIA bloc is expected to escalate its campaign, with major rallies planned for October 6 and November 1 in Delhi.
Internal Disagreement Reports
The row follows reports suggesting internal friction within the Election Commission. It has been claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections at least 14 times over a ten-month period regarding decisions related to the SIR exercise, including issues involving voter deletions and access to databases. However, the Election Commission has rejected the notion that these objections constitute institutional dissent.