Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam has asked poll officials to take voter documents sent via WhatsApp into consideration during the ongoing SIR exercise and directed BLOs to visit households for verification if necessary, an official said on Wednesday.
People can respond to notices generated from the ECINet software by sending their required documents on WhatsApp to BLOs, the official in the state poll body said.
“The BLOs have been asked to visit homes for verification of the documents sent, if required,” he said.
Officials earlier said Chockalingam has requested the Election Commission for changes in the ECINet software to allow Electoral Registration officers (EROs) to use their discretion regarding anomalies in electoral rolls.
The Opposition Congress has, however, alleged that the statutory powers of EROs to decide voter eligibility were being diluted through the ECINet system.
The deadline for filing claims and objections for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra has been extended from September 30 to October 12. The period for disposal of notices and claims and objections is till November 10, and the date for final publication is November 16.
The Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have come under fire after it came to light that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders regarding the SIR, some of which they said were issued without their knowledge.
The Opposition parties have accused Kumar of taking unilateral decisions in favour of the ruling establishment.
The Election Commission has clarified in a statement that the three-member commission took decisions, including those relating to the SIR of electoral rolls, unanimously.
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