Delhi SIR: 1 in 3 of 1,236 deletions in Trilokpuri roll ‘wrongly removed’, reveals audit

NEW DELHIOne in three removed electors from Delhi’s draft electoral roll covered in a door-to-door public audit across four polling booths in the Trilokpuri constituency, including two booths of Indira Camp, was wrongly categorised as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate (ASDD), a survey by civil society organisations has found.Of the 1,236 audited deletions, 416 people were found living at their registered addresses, though only 87 had filled out Form 6 seeking their names back on the rolls. Out of 1.23 lakh electors on the Trilokpuri draft roll, 61,998 names were removed under the ASDD categories.The findings were shared at a public hearing organised on Tuesday by civil society groups, including Jan Sarokar, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, National Federation of Independent Women and Voter Adhikar Manch. The volunteers conducted the audit over four days.Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the hearing. “This public audit has shown 416 wrongly deleted voters in just four booths, but people all over the country are now able to see through this farce,” Mr. Gandhi said, alleging that the special intensive revision (SIR) was depriving ordinary citizens of their right to vote.“Through SIR, right to vote of ordinary citizens is being snatched and the entire Opposition stands united against this,” he said, adding that the Opposition would continue to demand accountability from the Election Commission of India and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar‘Dead’ found aliveA voter facilitation camp was also organised at the hearing where daily wagers and women arrived with their documents, many unaware of their deletion.Among the 1,236 audited electors, 55% of those marked ‘absent’ were living at their registered addresses. Three of the 102 people categorised as dead were also found alive, the audit found. One of them were 67-year-old Vijender. His wife, Kamlesh, whose form was submitted along with him but only her name figured on draft roll was furious. “I haven’t caught hold of the Booth Level Officer (BLO) after that, I want to ask him what rush he was in to declare him dead already?”In this working class neighbourhood people had joined on a Tuesday leaving their day’s work, and women joining after picking up their school going kids as they claimed this is the first camp that they have heard of.Nearby, Pinki, who moved to the neighbourhood after marriage in 2005 and received her first voter ID in 2009, sat with a Form 6 meant for first-time voters while feeding lunch to her five-year-old son. At least five members of her family, including her mother-in-law Anita, who has been voting for 50 years, had lost their names from the roll.“Look at this, at least five people from our family, including my mother-in-law, Anita, who has been voting for 50 years, have had their names cut. How are they cutting votes like this?” she asked.Her relative Aniket, who had come to register as a first-time voter, said the family had repeatedly submitted enumeration forms for six members after errors in the first two submissions. “I have gone and submitted the forms for six members not once but thrice, after there were a few errors the first two times, and four of them have been marked absent,” he said.Rahis, who is in his 50s, was also marked absent despite submitting his enumeration form. His wife had visited both the voter centre and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office to find out why his name had been removed. His wife and four children remained on the draft roll, having used his 2002 electoral roll details for mapping.‘Reverification on’An Assistant Electoral Registration Officer who visited the hearing said the re-verification of names on the ASDD list was under way. However, residents said they were yet to hear from their BLOs.An Assistant Electoral Registration Officer present at the hearing said re-verification was under way. However, residents said they were yet to hear from their BLOs. The facilitation camp assisted 280 families to fill over 500 forms, though applicants still had to submit them individually to their BLOs or the election office.Also waiting with their turn to fill form 6 were 72-year-old Chandrawati and 78 year old Ramji Lal who cannot walk much without assistance. They were amused that their names, after voting for over 50 years from this address were simply removed. “We live alone and all we survive on is my 2,000 rupees pension. No BLO came to our house, nor did we fill any form,” she said. They still had the first voter card allocated to them, and this was first time, Ms. Chandrawati said, they will be re-enroling from the same address. With the deadline for claims ending on October 30, the civil society groups have demanded it be extended by a month. Meanwhile, the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer said that special weekend enrolment camps have been running since September 20.