a day ago
Election Commission flags key hurdles to creating a common electoral roll
Synopsis
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed a parliamentary panel about the prerequisites for a common electoral roll, including a uniform qualifying date and standardized roll preparation. The ECI is also considering amendments related to linking Aadhaar with voter ID, emphasizing its voluntary nature.
New Delhi: A uniform qualifying date, a standardised system of preparing electoral rolls by states, and synchronising delimitation of assembly constituencies with panchayats and municipal wards are some of the prerequisites for a common electoral roll for all elections, the poll panel has informed a parliamentary submission of the poll panel to a parliamentary panel gains significance as it comes amid criticism over the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
The Election Commission of India has also informed the parliamentary committee that a new Form 6B has been devised for electors to provide their Aadhaar details voluntarily. However, linking of Aadhaar with voter ID is fraught in legal poll panel also stated that it is considering amendments and modifications to the relevant provisions related to linking of Aadhaar with Voter ID and enrolment forms in view of the Supreme Court's direction in the underlined that linking of Aadhaar with voter ID card is voluntary and not obligatory.
All these submissions of the Election Commissions of the poll panel were noted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice in its action taken report on 'Specific Aspects of Election Process and Their Reform'. The commission, responding to the parliamentary panel's recommendation for common electoral rolls, has underlined that it shares its electoral rolls with state election commissioners of 32 states and one common electoral roll the poll panel said, "A uniform system of preparation of electoral rolls by State Election Commissions (SECs) as well as a uniform qualifying date, section details within polling stations under a constituency, needs to be prepared as per the extent of the ward area of Panchayat and Municipal Council Elections."Delimitation of Panchayat and Municipal Council wards, done frequently at the time of elections or after every census, would require alignment with the delimitation of the assembly constituency and the same system of nomenclature and numbering of wards in rural and urban areas across all states, are also required for common electoral rolls, the panel the same parliamentary panel report, the Law Ministry, which is the administrative ministry for ECI, has suggested that the issue of common electoral rolls is linked with one nation one election.
On the issue of amending the Representation of the People's Act 1951, for making candidates ineligible for filing false information and affidavit, the poll panel has said it has already made a recommendation in the same nature, while the Law Ministry said it would consider the recommendation when electoral reforms would be carried out in future.
