The Election Commission of India (ECI) has provided relief to voters temporarily shifted due to redevelopment and rehabilitation projects by allowing them to use the address of their original homes for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to a circular issued by the district election officers of Mumbai and Thane, citizens who have moved to temporary accommodation due to redevelopment will continue to be treated as eligible electors at their original addresses. However, they will have to submit an undertaking confirming that the address of the structure under redevelopment remains their ordinary residence and that they intend to return there in the near future.
The decision is based on provisions under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which states that a person does not lose their status as an ordinary resident merely because they are temporarily away from their place of residence. Election authorities also referred to the Electoral Roll Manual, which states that temporary absence does not affect voter eligibility if the person has the intention and ability to return to the original residence.
The clarification comes after several voters facing displacement due to redevelopment projects encountered difficulties during the enumeration process. Earlier, transit accommodation was being considered as the “ordinary residence” for such voters, requiring them to complete the process from their temporary locations. Many residents were unwilling to shift their voter registration and faced challenges in arranging documents required for enrolment.
To address the issue, the ECI has introduced a special application form for “temporarily absent electors”. Applicants will need to submit supporting documents such as certificates issued by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), MHADA documents, rent receipts, share certificates or notices issued by MHADA or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The move assumes significance as Mumbai and Thane have recorded lower enumeration rates compared to other parts of Maharashtra. While 74.04% of voters in the state had completed the process as of Tuesday, the figures stood at 56.26% in Mumbai City, 55.49% in Mumbai Suburban and 48.69% in Thane.
The ECI’s decision followed requests from political parties, civil society organisations and state leaders. Congress’s Mumbaidevi MLA Amin Patel said, “Almost every assembly constituency in Mumbai has at least 10% voters displaced due to redevelopment. Had the EC not allowed them to register at their original address, they would not have been able to register on the electoral rolls and would have to begin the enrolment process afresh. After the EC’s decision, we have started arranging camps to facilitate enumeration of residents of buildings under redevelopment,” he said.
Source: Hindustan Times
