MUMBAI — Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Chockalingam has formally written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) requesting four software-level modifications in the ECINet portal to grant expanded statutory discretion to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The request aligns with operational concerns previously flagged by Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, who cautioned that centralized IT access controls managed at the Director General (IT) level were restricting field officers from executing their statutory duties.
Key Demands & Systemic Issues
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Software Discretion for EROs: CEO S Chockalingam requested software options allowing Sub-Divisional Magistrate-level EROs to resolve cases involving “logical discrepancies”—such as minor age or parent-name mismatches with historical rolls—following physical or document-based hearings.
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Exemption from Personal Hearings: The proposal advocates granting EROs the authority to exempt voters from mandatory personal hearings if submitted documentary evidence is deemed sufficient.
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Centralization Concerns: The communication addresses the issue of centralized control over the ERONet/ECINet interface, emphasizing that while EROs hold legal responsibility for maintaining assembly electoral rolls, software restrictions currently limit their procedural autonomy.
Commission Response & Electoral Roll Timeline
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ECI Guidance: Following a full panel meeting, the ECI issued a clarification granting EROs flexibility to exempt individuals with logical discrepancies from personal hearings, while confirming that ongoing platform upgrades are being deployed based on state CEO feedback.
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Maharashtra Draft Roll Data: Published on August 31, Maharashtra’s draft roll reflected a 21.1% drop in listed electors—encompassing over 2 crore deletions primarily attributed to deceased or relocated voters. The state’s final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on November 16.
