The declaration was dropped from the portal on Wednesday. The move comes days after the full Commission decided that the requirement would apply only during the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has withdrawn the additional SIR-related declaration from the online voter enrolment Form 6 in states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been completed.
Earlier reporting noted: The ECI, meanwhile, maintained that the declaration was introduced as part of the SIR process and said the requirement had been upheld by the Supreme Court. Sandhu had concurred with him. Form 6 is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. Joshi had objected to changes to the form on the grounds that a form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, could not be modified without amending the rules. The September 26 decisions came after the Indian Express claimed that Sandhu and Joshi had objected on record at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders on SIR that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation. The Commission, its September 26 statement, maintained that orders relating to SIR had the unanimous approval of all three election commissioners. On September 26, the Commission clarified that the additional declaration would apply during SIR, while the statutory forms under the 1960 rules would be used during non-SIR periods.
After the September 26 meeting of the full Commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the poll panel had said that the declaration attached to Form 6 was meant for SIR and that “for non-SIR period, the Forms applicable as per Rules (the Registration of Electors Rules 1960) will be used”.
