Delhi electoral officials announced on Thursday that 728 voters from a jhuggi-jhopri cluster in Bela Estate have been removed from the draft electoral roll. This exclusion follows the demolition of their homes, raising concerns about voter disenfranchisement in the area. The situation highlights ongoing challenges related to housing and electoral participation in the capital.
Mass Voter Deletions in Chandni Chowk Raise Concerns
Recent reports reveal that 728 out of 729 registered voters at Part No. 38, JJ Bela Estate-Vijay Ghat in the Chandni Chowk Assembly constituency have been removed from the electoral draft roll published on August 31. This drastic reduction, amounting to a deletion rate of nearly 99.8 percent, follows the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The affected area, situated on the western bank of the Yamuna River and classified as ecologically sensitive Zone O, had a total of 729 registered voters prior to the revisions. Following the updates, only one name remains on the draft roll, raising significant questions about the electoral process in this region.
Exclusion from the electoral roll does not prevent an eligible person from seeking inclusion again. 33 was examined after the reports. A person whose name does not figure in the electoral roll but fulfils the eligibility conditions can apply for inclusion through Form 6 along with the documents prescribed by the Election Commission of India.
The electoral roll for the earlier polling station No, according to an official statement by the office of electoral registration officer (ERO). It found that the addresses of most electors were recorded merely as “Agriculture”, while house numbers had been recorded for only a few voters, the statement said.
