Supreme Court Examines Voter Capacity at Polling Stations

The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission to clarify its decision to increase the voter count at polling stations from 1,200 to 1,500. A public interest litigation argues this change could disenfranchise voters. The commission must file an affidavit explaining its rationale within three weeks.

The Supreme Court on Monday requested the Election Commission's (EC) response concerning a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging its decision to raise the maximum number of voters at each polling station from 1,200 to 1,500.

Expressing concern, a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna emphasized that no voters should be left out. The bench directed senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the EC, to file a short affidavit justifying the rationale for this decision within three weeks.

The PIL, filed by Indu Prakash Singh, claims the decision is arbitrary and could lead to underprivileged groups being excluded from voting. The court will revisit the matter on January 27, 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)