📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ramesh Lalwani
Politics
EC to Bombay HC: Absence from draft SIR is not 'deletion'
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 14 Oct 2026, 10:16 AM
👁 18
The Election Commission of India clarified to the Bombay High Court that a name not appearing in the draft State Information Register does not imply its deletion.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has submitted a clarification to the Bombay High Court regarding the status of names in the draft State Information Register (SIR). The Commission stated that the non-appearance of a specific name in the draft document does not constitute a 'deletion' of the entry.
This legal clarification addresses concerns raised regarding the transparency and accuracy of the electoral rolls. The ECI emphasized that the draft stage is provisional and subject to further verification and objection processes before the final register is published.
The Commission's statement aims to prevent misinterpretation of the draft SIR as a final decision on the inclusion or exclusion of voters or candidates. Legal experts note that such clarifications are standard during the electoral roll preparation phase to ensure procedural fairness.
The Bombay High Court is currently reviewing the matter, with the ECI's submission serving as a key piece of evidence in the ongoing judicial proceedings. The final outcome will depend on the court's interpretation of the electoral laws and the Commission's procedural guidelines.
This legal clarification addresses concerns raised regarding the transparency and accuracy of the electoral rolls. The ECI emphasized that the draft stage is provisional and subject to further verification and objection processes before the final register is published.
The Commission's statement aims to prevent misinterpretation of the draft SIR as a final decision on the inclusion or exclusion of voters or candidates. Legal experts note that such clarifications are standard during the electoral roll preparation phase to ensure procedural fairness.
The Bombay High Court is currently reviewing the matter, with the ECI's submission serving as a key piece of evidence in the ongoing judicial proceedings. The final outcome will depend on the court's interpretation of the electoral laws and the Commission's procedural guidelines.