Rahul Gandhi has again put the Election Commission in the dock. Image Credit Source: tv9 gfx

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has once again put the Election Commission of India in the dock. They allege that online votes are being cut on a large scale under the conspiracy. In this, those people are getting more victims, who have been voting for the opposition in normal condition. It is not possible to cut online votes legally because even after applying online, there is a rule of physical verification as per rules. Yes, if the person who is verifying is intent on making a mess, then rigging with some votes is possible.

What initiative will be taken by the Election Commission of India based on Rahul Gandhi's allegations? This is known to the Commission, but on this excuse, we will definitely know what is the whole process of adding or cutting online or offline votes? Who has this right? Who finally decides? In which conditions can the vote be cut? There will also be an attempt to find answers to other such questions.

ECI rules

India is the largest democracy in the world and the election process here is considered very wide and complex. To maintain the transparency and credibility of elections, the Election Commission of India has fixed clear rules and procedures. Come, let's find the answer to each question.

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Vote -cutting legal basis

The voter list in India is maintained under the Representation of the People's Representation Act, 1950 and the Representation of the Public Representation Act, 1951. According to these acts

1. Every citizen whose name is recorded in the voter list has the right to vote in the election.
2. The Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Chief Electoral Officer CEO of the State and the concerned BLO are responsible for preparing and updating the voter list.
3. Adding, modifying, improving or removing any kind of name is a rule to be done through special form and procedure.

Under what circumstances can votes cut?

1. If the voter dies and its evidence is available, then his name is removed from the voter list.
2. If a person permanently moves to another constituency, then his name can be cut from the voter list of the old region.
3. For this, the form-7 has to be filled or the name is removed from the old area automatically while choosing a new area.
4. If a person ends Indian citizenship or takes citizenship of another country.
5. If someone's membership is prohibited due to a serious legal offense or mental bankruptcy (which has been declared by the court).
6. Many times, due to technical reasons, the name of the same person is added to two places. In this situation there is a rule to remove additional names.

Know what is the process of cutting votes

1. Form-7: This is the form through which any person (voter, neighbor, BLO or any other responsible citizen) can apply that a person's name is removed from the voter list.
2. Verification: Physical verification is done by the booth level officer (BLO) or Election Registration Officer (ERO). Notice is sent to the person concerned, so that he gets an opportunity to speak.
3. Decision: It is decided to remove or maintain names based on evidence and rules.
4. Right to appeal: If someone feels that his name is wrongly removed, he can appeal to a high level officer or court.

Can votes cut online?

This is a very important question. Rahul Gandhi has raised it in his PC on Thursday. He brought some affected people, who were also presented to journalists. In the light of these facts, it can be said that technically, the process of adding or removing names today can be started through online application.

Form-7 online can be submitted online on the National Voter Services Portal (NVSP) or State Election Commission website, but only by making the application online, the vote is not cut. The final decision is always taken only after human verification and physical verification. That is, online application is possible, but the vote cutting process is not completely online. Off -line process is still being adopted in this.

An official, who has been part of the election process for a long time, said on the condition of anonymity that there is no scope for disturbances till the online application. Yes, during physical verification, if the government representatives engaged in this work, then they can file wrong reports. But this work does not seem possible on a large scale.

Several security provisions have been made

1. Mandatory to give notice: No name can be removed without giving notice.
2. Duplicate checking system: Duplicate names are identified with technology.
3. Physical Verification: The BLO goes home and confirms.
4. Right to register objection: If the name is removed without the reason, the voter can object immediately and can be rebuilt.

Controversy and political allegations

Before the elections in India, it has often been alleged that the names of supporters of opposition parties are being removed from the voter list in large numbers. In Thursday's press conference, Rahul Gandhi has claimed that the names of opposition vote bank communities in BJP ruled states are being cut in a planned manner. He has demanded a fair inquiry from the Election Commission. The Election Commission constantly makes it clear that no one's name can be removed without a proper reason and legal process. According to the commission, if irregularity is found somewhere, then action is also taken against the responsible officials.

What to do if your vote is cut?

1. Check online voter list in NVSP portal or Voter Helpline App.
2. Complain to the returning officer, if it is wrong to remove the name, then give a written complaint.
3. Apply again from Form-6, you can get your name again twisted.
4. Keeping the Voter ID does not give the right to vote, it is mandatory to be in the name list.
5. The final and important thing is to keep the eyes open. Will wake up on the polling days and if the name is not in the list, then you will not be able to vote. It is important to investigate the voter list before the election. If there is no name, then try to add before the election.

There is still many improvements needed

Many experts believe that these steps should be taken to prevent the problem of name cut from the vote list.

1. Real-time base integration: It will be easy to cut fake and duplicate names when linking to Aadhaar.
2. Mobile notification system: It should be made mandatory to send messages on mobile if votes are added or cut.
3. Strict accountability: Penalty action should be taken if negligence is found on BLO and election officials.
4. Public audit system: Providing the voter list in front of the public in a transparent manner.

Cutting votes in India is completely legal and process-based work. For this, the guidelines of the Public Representation Act, 1950 and the Election Commission are clearly applicable. Votes can only be removed in a state of death, location change, duplicate name or disqualification. The process of removing the vote online application can begin, but the final decision is always after offline verification. The vote of any citizen cannot be removed without the reason, and even if it is removed, he has every right to add names and complain again.