Supreme Court Urges Transparency in Electoral Roll Revisions

The Supreme Court has instructed the Election Commission to disclose names excluded from Kerala's draft electoral rolls, following concerns about errors in the special intensive revision process. The court suggested extending the objection deadline to alleviate difficulties faced by voters who may have been wrongly disenfranchised.

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission to make public the names of individuals excluded from the draft electoral rolls in Kerala. This directive came as part of efforts to enable affected voters to raise objections after the special intensive revision process.

Chief Justice Surya Kant's bench also urged the poll panel to consider extending the deadline for filing objections, preferably by two weeks. This discussion arose from petitions challenging the current revision process, which petitioners claim could disenfranchise large numbers due to technical issues and insufficient redressal systems.

The Election Commission's counsel mentioned that extending the deadline would be considered. During the proceedings, it was revealed that nearly 24 lakh names were deleted from the draft rolls without making the list of excluded voters available. As a result, affected voters lack a fair opportunity to contest their exclusion. Some errors include marking voters as deceased or residing out of state, causing significant challenges, especially in rural areas. The court insisted that lists of excluded persons be displayed at gram panchayat offices and uploaded online for greater accessibility.

(With inputs from agencies.)