Election Commission Limits Objections on Voter List to Combat Misuse
The Election Commission of India has set new limits on objections to voter lists to prevent misuse and streamline the process.
New Delhi, October 9 (Daily Kiran) : The Election Commission of India has announced a significant decision regarding Form-7, which is used to request the removal of names from the voter list. To prevent the bulk filing of objections by individuals, the Commission has established new limits. This directive has been communicated to the Chief Electoral Officers of all states and Union Territories.
The Commission noted that there have been instances where individuals submitted numerous objections under Form-7 without substantial grounds. This practice has caused unnecessary inconvenience to the voters whose names were challenged and has increased the workload for field officers.
According to the Commission, under Rule 13(2) of the Electoral Registration Rules, 1960, objections to the inclusion of names in the voter list or applications for removal must be filed using Form-7, and only by individuals already listed in that electoral area.
Political parties recognized during the SIR period are allowed to submit bulk applications, but they too are subject to limitations. A Block Level Agent (BLA) can submit no more than 50 forms in a day before the draft publication and only 10 forms afterward.
For individual voters, the Voter List Manual 2023 already stipulates that bulk claims and objections, including those sent by mail, should not be accepted. If one person files objections in more than five cases, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) must conduct a personal cross-verification.
The Commission clarified that online, an individual can submit only six applications at a time. However, the physical form limit was previously undefined, leading to confusion. With the new regulations, a voter can now submit a maximum of 10 Form-7s over the entire objection period. During continuous updates of voter lists, this limit will be reduced to five applications per month. This rule applies to both online and offline submissions.
Additionally, the Commission stated that incomplete applications or those not filled out in the prescribed format will be rejected by the ERO. Original signatures from the objector are mandatory on Form-7; stamped signatures will not be accepted. The ERO must also verify the authenticity of the applicant.
If a complaint is found to be false or fabricated, action will be taken against the applicant for deliberately providing false information under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
