In demanding a four-week extension in making claims and objections during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Telangana’s Chief Minister, A. Revanth Reddy, has made a very important point concerning the rights of the voters and how the elections are being held. Since there is no election at the moment, the Chief Minister’s argument in favor of giving adequate time to the citizens to make claims and objections is logical.
There is nothing complicated here; while revising the electoral roll, it is necessary to take care of the fact that nobody from the legitimate voters is excluded from the list. In the case of a short deadline, it may affect average people because of the lack of access to the documents, difficulties in understanding the process, and even inability to go to the respective office.
The problem also brings the Election Commission into the limelight and, by extension, the entire methodology of the Centre in conducting elections. It is important to note that, where there are issues regarding the authenticity of electoral rolls, it is important to open up the process of revision and involve the people, rather than rushing the process unnecessarily.
The Centre state that conducting elections, such as the revision of voter rolls at a national level, raises anxiety among the citizens when they are unsure about their documents and any repercussions thereof. Therefore, it is important for the government and election officials to ensure the openness and transparency of the process.
Reddy’s demands thus go beyond seeking extra time. Now the question arises why haste be made when there is an opportunity to conduct a process in a more comprehensive way?
The Election Commission needs to take the suggestion of a four-week extension into serious consideration and make sure that all eligible voters get a chance to confirm their voter registration. Democratic integrity does not only mean having a revised list of voters; it means making sure that true citizens are not left out of the democratic process.
