Key facts
- AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) about the 'logical discrepancy' category in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
- Owaisi highlighted concerns about an unusually high number of children being flagged under this category.
- He pointed out that discrepancies in age differences between family members and the inclusion of more than five children are being flagged.
- The Supreme Court has directed the ECI to publish the names of individuals categorized under 'logical discrepancy'.
- The SIR exercise in Telangana is set to commence on June 15, with final electoral rolls to be published on October 1.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has raised concerns about the Election Commission of India's (ECI) use of a 'logical discrepancy' category during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for voter lists. Speaking in Hyderabad, Owaisi highlighted that the ECI is flagging an unusually high number of children and instances where age differences between family members are significant.
Owaisi explained that individuals whose names were not on the 2002 voter list but appear on the 2024 parliamentary list, along with their extended family members, are being mapped. He noted that if a person's name is absent from the 2002 list, they are being advised to prepare their documentation. He specifically pointed out that discrepancies such as a fifteen-year age gap between a father and child, or families with more than five children, are being categorized as anomalies.
The 'logical discrepancy' category has previously sparked political debate, notably in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, with opposition from the Trinamool Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The Supreme Court has intervened, directing the ECI to publish the names of individuals flagged under this category in public spaces like gram panchayat bhawans and ward offices. In West Bengal, the apex court also authorized the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to deploy additional civil judges to manage the verification of numerous objections.
Meanwhile, the SIR exercise is scheduled to commence in Telangana on June 15, with draft rolls to be published on July 31. The period for claims and objections will run from July 31 to August 30, culminating in the publication of final electoral rolls on October 1.