CHENNAI : The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition seeking the introduction of an SMS confirmation system for voters after casting their vote, observing that such a proposal can only be considered for future elections as the electoral process has already commenced.

K.R. Kukesh, founder and President of the Tamil Nadu Isaivellalar Youth Federation and Welfare Trust, filed the petition before the Madras High Court.

In his petition, he stated that in essential services such as the purchase of ration commodities, booking of LPG cylinders, and banking transactions, instant SMS alerts are sent to mobile phones to ensure transparency and accountability.

Similarly, to prevent malpractices in the electoral process, a mechanism should be introduced whereby voters receive an SMS confirmation on their mobile phones immediately after casting their vote.

In this regard, the petitioner submitted that he had made representations to the Election Commission of India on March 3, 2024, and again on February 19 of this year.

It was initially stated by the Election Commission of India that the proposal was under consideration; however, no further action has been taken thereafter.

Therefore, the petitioner has sought a direction to the Election Commission of India to take appropriate steps to implement the SMS confirmation system in the forthcoming elections.

When the matter came up for hearing before the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has details, including Aadhaar and mobile numbers.

The Bench said that the election process has already commenced and that the petitioner’s plea can, at best, be considered only for future elections. The Chief Justice’s Bench stated that it cannot issue a direction to the Election Commission of India to implement an SMS confirmation system, and the petition was dismissed.