A number of state election commissions use the draft voter record of the EC (File)
New Delhi:
The federal government is discussing the potential of having a typical electoral roll for Lok Sabha, meeting and native physique elections to keep away from discrepancies and produce uniformity within the voters record, officers stated on Saturday.
At current, the Election Fee prepares the electoral roll or voter record for Lok Sabha and meeting polls. The state election commissions, that are altogether separate our bodies as per constitutional provisions, maintain elections for native our bodies akin to municipalities and panchayats of their respective states primarily based on their very own voter lists.
A number of state election commissions use the draft voter record of the EC to formulate their very own rolls. The draft EC roll is commonly divided into wards for native physique elections.
Now, the Centre is exploring the potential of having a single voter record for Lok Sabha, meeting and native physique polls as this might help usher in uniformity and likewise save prices concerned in a whole train getting repeated for making separate voter lists, officers stated.
There are provisions within the Structure that empower states to formulate their very own legal guidelines to carry panchayat and municipal polls.
States even have powers to both have their very own voter lists or to undertake the one ready by the EC for meeting polls.
“The federal government is discussing whether or not there could be a single electoral roll for these three forms of elections. Now, states should be persuaded to undertake the central electoral roll ( the one ready by EC),” defined a senior functionary.
In accordance with one other functionary, it’s “fascinating” to have one frequent electoral roll as at current a whole train will get repeated for a similar goal.
“Cash can also be spent for a similar train twice. One roll will be good for voters additionally and there can be no discrepancy in native physique and meeting voter lists,” he stated.
Usually discrepancies have been observed when names of voters are lacking in one of many lists.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister’s Workplace organised a gathering on the difficulty the place high officers of the Regulation Ministry and the EC gave their views on the current standing and the longer term prospects.
Requested whether or not the proposed single electoral roll was linked to the concept of holding simultaneous elections, a authorities official stated the 2 are usually not linked as simultaneous polls sometimes seek advice from holding Lok Sabha and meeting polls collectively within the Indian context.
The Election Fee, the Regulation Fee and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Regulation and Personnel Ministries have supported the concept of a single voter record prior to now additionally.
In a letter written to the federal government in November 1999, the Election Fee had stated that separate rolls ready by the EC and State ECs “not solely create confusion among the many electors as a result of their names could also be current in a single roll however absent within the different, or vice versa, but in addition lead to duplication of effort and expenditure.”
In its report on Calls for for Grants (2016-17) of the Regulation Ministry, the standing committee had additionally identified that as of now, the EC and State Election Commissions have separate electoral rolls.
“They perform registration of voters and updation of electoral rolls individually. The numbers of voters of their electoral rolls often differ,” it had stated.
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