With 15 days still remaining for the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise to conclude, Punjab has cleared nearly 99% of the 22.69 lakh electors whose enumeration forms were flagged for “logical discrepancies” for inclusion in the state’s final electoral rolls.
These electors, constituting approximately 12% of the 1.94 crore electors in the draft electoral rolls, were identified by the Electoral Commission of India (ECI) algorithm for one or more logical discrepancies or anomalies in their electoral records, such as a mismatch in name or age, and notices were then issued to them. Of these, discrepancies relating to the electoral records of 22.41 lakh – or 98.77% – have been addressed so far, and their names have been cleared for inclusion in the final electoral rolls of the state, according to the latest official figures. The final electoral rolls will be published on October 12.
The identification of logical discrepancies triggered controversy in several states, particularly Delhi, after some prominent personalities, including politicians, former bureaucrats and entrepreneurs, were issued notices over inconsistencies in their electoral records. There were apprehensions in Punjab also at the start of the electoral roll cleanup. However, the exercise has been smooth and is now on the verge of completion.
The logical discrepancies included progeny-related anomalies such as more than six electors being linked to the same parent (progeny > 6), an age gap of less than nine months between two siblings, parent-child age gap of less than 15 years or more than 50 years and grandparent-grandchildren age gap of less than 40 years. The poll panel’s software also flagged voters with mismatches in their names, ages or parent’s names between the current enumeration forms and the 2003 SIR rolls. All the electors flagged for such anomalies were issued notices and asked to provide supporting documents for making corrections.
{{/usCountry}}The logical discrepancies included progeny-related anomalies such as more than six electors being linked to the same parent (progeny > 6), an age gap of less than nine months between two siblings, parent-child age gap of less than 15 years or more than 50 years and grandparent-grandchildren age gap of less than 40 years. The poll panel’s software also flagged voters with mismatches in their names, ages or parent’s names between the current enumeration forms and the 2003 SIR rolls. All the electors flagged for such anomalies were issued notices and asked to provide supporting documents for making corrections.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab’s chief electoral officer Anindita Mitra said that a very small number of logical discrepancy cases were remaining. “These will also be decided over the next week or so,” she said. The electoral staff has time till October 8 to decide the remaining 27,700-odd logical discrepancies cases based on submission of documents by voters, hearings or booth-level officers’ undertakings.
Data available with the chief electoral officer, Punjab, indicates that booth-level officers in the Tarn Taran, Maur, Mansa, Samana and Shutrana assembly constituencies have cleared all logical discrepancy cases. In another 10 constituencies, including Banga, Sardulgarh, Barnala, Zira, Sangrur, Khem Karan, Dirba and Jalalabad, the number of cases awaiting decisions is in the single digits. However, five assembly constituencies had more than 1,000 pending cases of logical discrepancies as of Tuesday. The Amritsar Central assembly constituency had the highest number of 2,538 pending cases, followed by Ludhiana North (2,097), Ludhiana Central (2,056), Ferozepur City (1,401), and Ludhiana West (1,318).