Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

BJP Secretary Karate Thyagaranjan, on Tuesday, raised concerns over the Special Summary Revision (SIR) process in Tamil Nadu, specifically regarding the use of Form 6 for voters whose names are missing from draft rolls.

Speaking with ANI, Thyagarajan questioned the Election Commission's guidelines, noting that Form 6 is intended for new voters and that its misuse can lead to imprisonment.

"The Election Commission of India has issued a press release stating that you can use Form 6 from 6 if you have been left out of the draft rolls. Form 6 states that it is only for new voters. In the declaration, it states that I declare that I am a new voter. So this form is for a new voter, and if I make a false declaration, I will be sentenced to one year imprisonment, maximum.... If you have a voter ID card, but your name is left out in the draft rolls, you cannot use Form 6," said Thyagarajan.

Thyagarajan met with Corporation Commissioner Kumaragurubaran and special observer Raman Kumar to seek clarification on the issue. He emphasised that voters with existing IDs but missing from draft rolls can't use Form 6, seeking a resolution from Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik.

"Three days back, we had an election meeting in Chennai regarding the SIR and the draft roll. A special observer from Delhi, Mr Raman Kumar, has come for the SIR and was present at the meeting...I raised that question in the meeting with the Corporation Commissioner, Mr Kumaragurubaran, who said that he will clarify with the Chief Electoral Officer, Archana Patnaik and Raman Kumar also took my complaint...," he added.

On Friday, the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer announced that the EC has removed the names of 97.37 lakh voters from the draft electoral rolls at the end of the first phase of SIR in the state.

Out of the 97.37 lakh voters, 66.40 lakh voters have shifted their residences, 26.90 lakh are dead, and 3.98 lakh have enrolled at multiple places, according to the data released by the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu.

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The total number of voters, as per the draft rolls, is 5,43,76,755, compared with 6,41,14587 when the SIR began on November 4.

Women voters have outnumbered men, with 2.77 crore women voters to 2.66 crore men. The number of third gender voters is 7,191, and 4,19,355 are PWD voters.