Eligible Voters to Be in Electoral Roll, Irrespective of NRC: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat. 

(Photo: PTI)

Amid a political storm over the final draft of National Register of Citizens in Assam, the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday, 31 July, said it has asked its poll machinery in the state to ensure that all eligible voters are included in electoral roll during summary revision next year.

The EC’s decision came after the government had been asked about what would happen to those voters whose names were not included in the NRC draft, reports The Indian Express. It had then thrown the gauntlet to the EC and said it was the latter’s decision.

"The EC with its objective of 'no voter to be left behind' has asked CEO Assam to coordinate closely with state coordinator NRC to ensure that all eligible persons are included in electoral roll during summary revision 2019," Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat told PTI.

In this way, the final electoral roll will be published on 4 January 2019 and used for the next Lok Sabha elections, he said.

Speaking to The Indian Express, he said that a voter, whose name may not have been in the NRC draft, would continue to remain on the state’s electoral roll, if he or she was able to prove to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) that:

• She is a citizen of India
• At least 18 years of age on January 2019
• An ordinary resident in the Assembly constituency she wants to enroll

3 Possible Scenarios For Electoral Roll

Rawat stated that the Election Commission was ready to face three different situations, when they would draft the electoral eoll for Assam ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, reported The Indian Express.

In the first category, the registered voters in the state, whose names are there in the final NRC, will remain unaffected.

In the second category will be voters who are absent from the final NRC but have managed to challenge and get a stay from a tribunal or court, and will also continue to be on the electoral roll.

For those whose names are not listed in the final NRC, and who haven’t challenged the exclusion in court, their fate will be decided by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) based on the criteria laid down in the Representation of People Act of 1950, reported The Indian Express. 

The EC has reportedly asked the Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to reach out to the Prateek Hajela, the state coordinator of the NRC, to coordinate on how to consider the process of claims and objections to the draft NRC, while filing the summary revision of Assam’s electoral roll.

(With inputs from PTI and The Indian Express)