HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday informed the Telangana High Court that it had issued a response to a voter who alleged that he had received no communication after attending a hearing and submitting documents pursuant to a notice issued during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
The submission was made before a division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice P Sam Koshy and Justice Narsing Rao Nandikonda.
The bench adjourned to October 15 a writ petition filed by SQ Masood and another challenging the use of automated data-matching platforms by election authorities to identify and flag electors.
The petitioner also raised the case of another voter who claimed that he had not received any notice from the authorities. Further details of the Election Commission’s response concerning the second voter were not immediately available.
Masood sought a direction declaring the actions of the Election Commission, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Commissioner and the District Election Officer in issuing notices through the ECINet/ERONET platforms illegal and arbitrary.
The petitioner contended that electors were being flagged for minor discrepancies through automated name-matching mechanisms without proper verification of physical records or due application of mind by Electoral Registration Officers. He also questioned the alleged failure to disclose the platforms’ methodology and functioning in the public domain.
The plea alleged violations of Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution and the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The petitioner sought to restrain the authorities from initiating or continuing proceedings against electors solely on the basis of automated data matching without following the procedure prescribed by law.