The office of the Chief Electoral Officer, which has taken up the crucial work of the special summary revision of electoral rolls across the State, will publish the final list of eligible voters on January 28.
The Commission, which has to accomplish the task within the deadline set by the Central Election Commission, has adopted multi-pronged approach to ensure that opportunity is given to all eligible citizens to enrol their names in the voters’ list.
When contacted by Deccan Herald, Anil Kumar Jha, Chief Electoral Officer, said that filing of objections and inclusions in 46 Assembly constituencies in the limits of city corporations will be completed by December 31. Of these constituencies, 28 are in Bangalore alone.
He said the rules permit the inclusion of names to the voters’ list till the last date of filing nomination papers by candidates.
“We will print additional list in every booth till the filing of nomination of papers is over. But, we would like to come out with the revised list on January 28,” he explained.
Asked about complaints regarding large-scale deletion of names in Bangalore, Jha
said the Commission would not like to look back but complete the job on hand. “We have taken various corrective measures. Lists indicating the deletions have been generated in each of the 28 Assembly constituency in Bangalore.
The list of deletions made have been given to electoral registration officers and to the registered political parties so that eligible voters can be included. We had a meeting with residents’ associations too so that they too can cross check the list and include names,” he said.
Jha said that those whose names have been inadvertently deleted, need not submit the prescribed form seeking inclusion as corrections will be carried out. There is total transparency in our work as the voter database is going to computerised, he added.
Poll preparations
Asked when the Commission would be ready to conduct the next elections to the Assembly, he said it would depend on the calender to be prepared by the Election Commission. “Usually it takes three months for the Commission to prepare itself to conduct the polls. The major work is preparing the revised voters list, which is going on briskly,” he said.
The Commission has made arrangements to make the draft voters’ list available on its website, ward offices, office of deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and tahsildars.
Eligible citizens may submit their applications online by logging on to http://voterreg.kar.nic.in. It has also approached colleges to facilitate young voters to enrol their names.
Sources in the Commission said that a minimum of three months would be required to complete preparations for holding the elections.
Keeping electronic voting machines ready would take time. In addition, teachers would be available for election work only after the examination season, they said.
Highlights
* Inclusions will be allowed until the last day of filing nominations.
* Filing objections and inclusions in 46 constituencies to end by December 31.
* List of deletions in 28 Bangalore constituencies made public.
* Colleges approached to facilitate enrolment of young voters.