Election Commission's Special Observer Conducts Review of Kanpur's Voter List Revision Programme
In a significant development for electoral preparedness in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission of India has taken proactive steps to ensure the accuracy and completeness of voter lists in Kanpur district. On Friday, the commission nominated Special Role Observer SIR and joint secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal to oversee the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme in the region.
Key Meeting with Political Party Representatives
Sanjay Kumar Agarwal convened a special meeting with representatives from various political parties in Kanpur to gather feedback on the ongoing SIR initiative. During the session, he emphasized the critical importance of booth-level agents in the revision process. Agarwal urged active cooperation from all stakeholders, stating that if any ineligible person's name appears in the draft voter list or if an eligible voter is missing, this information should be reported immediately.
The Special Role Observer highlighted that under the Election Commission's transparent system, the draft voter list has been made available to all political parties and is accessible in the public domain. He stressed that every vote holds special importance in a democracy, and the commission's objective is to maintain a completely error-free and updated voter list.
Coordination and Infrastructure for Voter Mapping
Agarwal also addressed the need for coordination between Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to ensure the timely presence of voters who have received notices for mapping purposes. He announced that hearing centres have been established near polling booths to facilitate this process.
Interestingly, during the meeting, political party representatives did not report any specific errors regarding the draft voter list, indicating a level of satisfaction with the current compilation.
Detailed Review with District Officials
Prior to the meeting with political parties, the Special Role Observer held a review session with divisional commissioner K Vijayendra Pandian, district election officer for Kanpur Nagar and Dehat, and other key officials. District magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh provided a comprehensive update on the voter list status.
According to the published draft, a total of 26,36,113 voters are registered across the 10 assembly constituencies of Kanpur district. Out of these, mapping needs to be completed for 2,07,532 voters, with notices already issued to 82,478 individuals.
Enhanced Administrative Measures
To ensure effective hearing of cases, the district administration has deployed additional resources. Beyond the 61 assistant electoral registration officers already approved assembly-wise, 111 new AEROs have been deployed after receiving approval from the Election Commission. The Special Roll Observer directed that voters receiving notices must be provided with them at least seven days before their hearing.
Innovative Initiatives and Future Plans
District magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh also presented an update on the "Book-a-Call-with-BLO" initiative, revealing that 9,583 voters have utilized this service so far. The highest participation came from Maharajpur Assembly constituency with 1,783 voters, followed by Kalyanpur Assembly constituency with 1,659 voters. Singh clarified that in all instances, BLOs contacted voters within the stipulated 48-hour timeframe.
Looking ahead, Singh announced that Booth Day will be observed on January 25, January 31, and February 1. On these dates, BLOs will be present at all 3,770 booths across the district to receive applications for new voters through Form 6, further streamlining the voter registration process.
This comprehensive review underscores the Election Commission's commitment to electoral integrity and voter inclusivity in Kanpur, setting a precedent for meticulous preparation ahead of upcoming elections.
