CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Wednesday submitted a detailed representation to the Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, seeking immediate intervention to address issues faced by electors categorised under the unmapped voter list who were identified during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The representation, issued on behalf of DMK Organisation Secretary RS Bharathi, was submitted by DMK Legal Wing Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP NR Elango.
In the memorandum, the DMK alleged that several Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) across the state were unlawfully demanding additional documents and insisting on personal appearance from electors whose Aadhaar details were flagged as Unmapped.
The party maintained that Aadhaar alone must be accepted as valid proof of identity, in line with Supreme Court directions and guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India.
The DMK pointed out that the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, permit only a summary inquiry and do not authorise field officials to impose extra documentary requirements beyond those prescribed under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Such practices, it said, could lead to the wrongful deletion or non-inclusion of genuine voters, particularly those from vulnerable sections.
The party also demanded that electors summoned for inquiry be permitted to appear with representatives or legal counsel, citing Rule 20 of the Registration of Electors Rules, which allows the presence of any person likely to assist the elector.
Denial of such assistance, it argued, amounted to a violation of procedural fairness and could affect a citizen's fundamental right to vote.
Raising concerns over transparency, the DMK sought the immediate release of booth-wise lists of electors issued notices under the "Unmapped" category, stating that the absence of such details had hampered Booth Level Agents from assisting affected voters.
The representation also flagged discrepancies in the recording of Forms 6 and 7 submitted by recognised political parties and called for uniform procedures across districts to ensure consistency and transparency in handling "Unmapped" cases.