Supreme Court to Examine Voter Deletion Claims in Maharashtra on October 26

The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a plea regarding substantial voter deletions in Maharashtra on October 26. The case, brought to the court's attention on Thursday, raises concerns over the integrity of the electoral rolls during the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, representing the petitioners, highlighted that out of Maharashtra's total voter base of approximately 9.79 crore, around 1.2 crore individuals have been identified with logical discrepancies in their voter registrations. Datar pointed out that in Pune and several other regions, a staggering 40.6% of eligible voters have reportedly been omitted from the electoral rolls, raising alarms about potential disenfranchisement.

During the proceedings, Datar requested the court to issue a notice promptly so that the Election Commission could provide clarity on the alleged discrepancies before the next hearing. He expressed concern over the lack of understanding regarding what constitutes a 'logical discrepancy' in voter registration. However, Chief Justice Surya Kant declined to issue an immediate notice, stating, "Not today. Not today."

The Supreme Court's decision to focus on Maharashtra comes amid broader concerns regarding the SIR process in other regions, including Delhi. In a related case, RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj has challenged the Election Commission's directive requiring voters excluded from Delhi's draft electoral rolls to reapply using Form 6 to restore their names, indicating widespread apprehension about voter registration processes across the country.

Looking ahead, the October 26 hearing will be crucial in determining the next steps for addressing these voter deletion allegations in Maharashtra. The court's findings may have significant implications for electoral integrity and voter rights in the state and potentially influence similar cases in other regions.