30 September,2026 11:43 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The Election Commission has already allowed BLOs to collect supporting documents from voters at their homes and upload them to ECINet. File Photo
Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam has directed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to accept documents sent by voters through WhatsApp during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and visit their homes for verification when required.
People who receive notices generated through the ECINet system can respond by sending the required documents to their respective BLOs through WhatsApp, a state election official said on Wednesday.
"The BLOs have been asked to visit homes for verification of the documents sent, if required," he said.
The move is aimed at easing the verification process for voters who have received notices over discrepancies or issues related to their entries in the draft electoral roll. The Election Commission has already allowed BLOs to collect supporting documents from voters at their homes and upload them to ECINet for consideration by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
Under the revised procedure, voters issued notices do not have to routinely appear in person for hearings. BLOs can collect the necessary documents and submit them through the system, with personal hearings reserved for cases where the documents provided are insufficient or further verification is required.
The Maharashtra election office had earlier sought changes to ECINet to give EROs greater flexibility in handling cases involving discrepancies in electoral rolls.
Chockalingam had requested that EROs be allowed to decide which cases require hearings, determine whether documents submitted by electors are sufficient and dispose of certain cases themselves. The Election Commission has since allowed some of the requested changes, including the option of exempting voters from personal hearings where the documents submitted are considered satisfactory.
The changes to the ECINet system have also triggered political criticism.
The Opposition Congress has alleged that the software could limit the statutory powers of EROs to decide voter eligibility and handle discrepancies in electoral rolls. These are allegations by the party and have been disputed by the Election Commission.
The Election Commission has said field officers have role-based access to ECINet in accordance with their statutory powers. It has also said a committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT will review the system for compliance with existing laws and rules.
The Election Commission has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections under the SIR in Maharashtra from September 30 to October 12.
The deadline for disposing of notices, claims and objections has been extended to November 10, while the final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on November 16.
The extension followed a request from the Maharashtra election office amid the large number of cases being handled during the notice phase.
The draft electoral roll published on August 31 excluded the names of a large number of electors whose enumeration forms could not be collected or whose entries were flagged for discrepancies. The election authorities have said such cases do not amount to final deletion and that affected electors can seek inclusion or correction through the prescribed process.
The latest developments come amid a wider dispute over the functioning of the Election Commission and the ECINet system.
Opposition parties have criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over decisions relating to the SIR and alleged that some decisions were taken without the concurrence of other election commissioners.
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations and said decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously by the three-member commission.
(With inputs from PTI)
