Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, has urged the immediate withdrawal of notices sent to around 18 lakh voters to attend hearings as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Satheesan expressed concern over citizens facing distress due to minor discrepancies in names and initials, mostly stemming from errors in the Election Commission’s software.
Satheesan emphasized that individuals should not face consequences for technical errors made by the system and proposed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) rectify mistakes during home visits instead of repeatedly summoning voters. He highlighted the need to retract notices issued through the BLO app, directing voters to hearings, stressing that the Election Commission’s prior indication of such action was not consistently enforced on the ground.
The Opposition leader also raised alarms regarding the alleged misuse of Form 7, which is intended for removing names from the voter list. He demanded stringent measures against those submitting Form 7 with false details and BLOs accepting such applications without proper verification. Satheesan insisted that voters should not be removed from the rolls without prior notification, citing frequent deletions in North Kerala districts.
Satheesan cautioned that the Special Intensive Revision process essentially functions as a citizenship verification exercise, underscoring the increased responsibility of political parties to act judiciously. He alleged that Form 7 was being exploited to target voters associated with opposing political factions. Additionally, he highlighted procedural deficiencies affecting expatriate voters, noting the absence of an option on the Election Commission’s website for overseas-born citizens to specify their birthplace in Form 6A submissions.
The Opposition leader disclosed that complaints had been lodged with District Collectors across all districts and announced intentions to facilitate discussions between the Election Commission and political party representatives to promptly address the concerns.
