A question has emerged over how people whose names were deleted from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) can apply to be included again using Form 6, which is meant for new voters.  

The issue has arisen following the Election Commission's latest order for a ‘special drive’ to update electoral rolls by including those who were left out or removed from the lists.

The controversy centres on whether people who have previously been registered as voters can use Form 6 to seek re-inclusion after their names were deleted during the SIR exercise.

Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, a persistent critic of the SIR exercise, raised the issue in a post on X.

Quraishi said Form 6 is meant only for new voters and cannot be submitted by someone whose name has been removed from the electoral roll.

He further alleged that those forced to fill out the form could be committing a criminal offence punishable by up to one year in prison. According to Quraishi, election officials who compel such applicants to submit the form could themselves be accused of abetment.

He also argued that the Election Commission's press release on the matter should be treated as an act of abetment.

The Election Commission's position, however, raises a different question: if a person is currently not included in any electoral roll, which form should they use to seek restoration of their voting rights?

Commission sources point to the declaration contained in Form 6. The applicant has to state that their name is not currently included in the electoral roll of any Assembly or Parliamentary constituency.

On that basis, Commission sources maintain that there is no bar on people whose names were deleted from the rolls using Form 6 to apply for inclusion again.

The same Form 6 declaration also states that the applicant is seeking inclusion of their name in the electoral roll for the first time.

This creates another difficulty for people who were already registered voters and may have voted several times before their names were removed during the SIR exercise.

The question now facing the Commission is how a person who has voted in previous elections can truthfully make a declaration that they are applying to be included in the electoral roll for the first time.