Election Commission defends new voter declaration form in Supreme Court

The Election Commission of India says it did not change Form 6, answering claims that it made illegal updates for voters whose names were removed during the Special Intensive Revision. Petitioners told the Supreme Court that the poll body had no power to change Form 6 on its own because that job belongs to the Centre. The poll body introduced an extra declaration form alongside Form 6. This extra form asks voters to share details of their past voter list entries or the entries of their parents and grandparents. The poll body calls this work mapping, while any missing details or mismatches are called logical discrepancies. In Delhi alone, there were initially 33.12 lakh cases with this issue.

Official Stand

An affidavit from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, states that the declaration is a separate document ordered by SIR rules and does not form part of the statutory Form 6. The poll body also stated that the extra form is part of an online push to help voters. This lets people give their details in one single paper instead of showing many papers for checks like they did in the Bihar SIR. Petitioners argue that Form 6 is meant only for brand new voters. They say pre-existing voters whose names were deleted are being forced to apply as new voters under threat of punishment.

Context

The Supreme Court stated on October 12 that it neither approved nor disapproved the changes to Form 6 in an earlier May 27 judgment. Justice Joymalya Bagchi, sitting on a Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, made this remark during a hearing on a petition filed by Priya Mishra against the Union government.