ECI separates online Form 6, accompanying declaration for States undergoing SIR

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has separated the Form 6, used for fresh voter registration, and an accompanying declaration in its online version in States where the SIR exercise is underway. Earlier in September, it had already withdrawn the declaration from its digital platforms in States where SIR had been completed.

Form 6 is used for fresh voters registrations and since the SIR in Bihar a separate declaration had been added with it in physical forms. However, in the digital mode, it was a single form and this included the declaration.

The ECI had justified it saying a single OTP for the two documents had led to suggestions that the form had been tweaked without the approval of the Union Law Ministry. This change in the online version of the Form 6 had been one of the issues flagged in dissent notes by the two Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

On Wednesday, a senior ECI official said: “Previously, Form 6 and the accompanying declaration were submitted together using a single OTP and e-Sign for the operational convenience of applicants. Under the revised process, each must be submitted separately, requiring a separate OTP verification and e-Sign.

Applicants must complete both steps for successful submission”. The ECI has in a counter affidavit submitted in the court last week had said that according to an October 21 decision of its electoral roll division, “similar to physical submissions, online applications in Form 6 shall also be divided into two distinct parts: Form 6 as prescribed in the Rules; and the SIR Declaration.” The ECI had clarified on Tuesday said that no action would be taken against voters merely on the ground that the elector had been included in a previous electoral roll and has submitted Form 6 during the SIR process or afterwards, provided that the he or she is not already enrolled in any other Parliamentary or Assembly Constituency.