Election Commission States Additional Declaration Is Separate From Form 6 Amid Supreme Court Scrutiny

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has maintained that an additional declaration form issued during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process is not a part of the statutory Form 6. This clarification follows observations from the Supreme Court, which stated it would examine the altered application process.

According to reported details from an ECI affidavit filed in New Delhi, the commission argued that the statutory Form 6 itself was never amended. Instead, the additional declaration requiring voters to provide details of earlier electoral roll entries, or those of parents and grandparents, was introduced as a separate document approved by the three-member commission.

Key Details of the Controversy

• Mapping Requirement: The additional declaration requires voters whose names were deleted during the SIR to provide historical electoral roll details, termed by the ECI as 'mapping'.
• Petitioners' Claims: Petitioners have argued in court that the additional declaration constitutes an unauthorized amendment to Form 6, contending that only the Centre, rather than the ECI, held the authority to alter it.
• Judicial Scrutiny: The Supreme Court previously observed that it had neither approved nor disapproved the changes to Form 6 during earlier proceedings and announced it would examine the matter further.

Official Stance and Verification

• The ECI stated that the separate declaration was part of an online initiative to assist voters by consolidating verification details.
• The commission noted that for non-SIR periods, standard forms applicable under the Registration of Electors Rules 1960 are utilized.
• Observers and applicants can verify the official filings and updates directly through the Supreme Court registry or official ECI portal announcements.