Bhopal: The Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign for voter lists is facing significant hurdles in Bhopal, primarily due to widespread voter confusion and a lack of awareness. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are struggling to collect the required enumeration forms as voters, misunderstanding the process, are reluctant to submit them. The key objective of the SIR is to ensure every eligible voter is included and inaccurate details are rectified, enhancing the credibility of the electoral roll.
= Voter fear and form filing difficulties
A major impediment is the prevailing misconception that submitting the form will lead to their names being deleted from the voter list, causing many to refuse cooperation with the BLOs. Furthermore, transferring families face difficulties tracing their previous voting records, particularly data dating back to 2003, leading to unnecessary trips to cyber cafes and the Collectorate. Illiteracy and a lack of awareness are also preventing some from accurately filling out the detailed forms, which require information like EPIC number, Aadhar, birth date, and past polling booth details.
= Clarifying the revision goal
Election officials are reiterating that the SIR is designed to purify the list, not remove eligible names. It aims to:
Remove names listed at two different addresses (due to relocation) or those of deceased persons.
Add new voters and those currently missing from the list.
Enhance the reliability and transparency of the electoral roll, which helps curb fraudulent voting.
= Uneven progress across constituencies
The confusion has resulted in highly uneven progress across the city’s constituencies. While Berasia leads with a collection rate of 76.51%, other key areas lag significantly, highlighting the urgent need for targeted public awareness campaigns. Narela and Bhopal Madhya stand at just 39.4% and 34.8% respectively, indicating that the bulk of the intensive revision work still needs to be completed before the final voter list can be prepared.
