Hyderabad: The State Election Commission (SEC), which deleted names of 7.9 lakh dead, duplicate, or relocated voters from the electoral rolls, said that they have empowered polling agents of political parties and contestants to challenge the identity of the voters, should they have any doubts.
If any polling agent challenges the identity of any voter, the presiding officer has to conduct a summary enquiry and establish the identity of the voter. If it is proved that the person is not a genuine voter, the presiding officer can bar that person from voting.
“Such instances are very rare,” said an SEC official on Sunday.
Election commission officials have ensured that no dead voter’s name figures in the electoral rolls.
The electoral registration officer does not have suo motu power to delete names and must follow the standard operating procedure prescribed by the Election Commissioner of India which includes, after submission of the death certificate or extract from the birth and death register, the process of issuance of notice and obtaining field enquiry report from the booth level officer (BLO).
