The Allahabad High Court has questioned the exclusion of 138 residents of Amethi district from the final electoral roll despite their names appearing in the draft list and previous voter records. The Court has sought an explanation from the Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission regarding the procedure followed for deleting their names.
Justice Jaspreet Singh issued the direction while considering a writ petition filed by residents of Gopalpur village, which falls under Mahmoodpur Benipur Gram Panchayat in Amethi.
The petitioners challenged the removal of their names from the final voter list, claiming that the authorities had not informed them before making the changes.
Court Seeks Clarification on Electoral Roll Procedure
During the hearing on October 9, the High Court directed the state counsel to clarify the legal provisions and procedure governing the deletion of names from electoral rolls.
The Court raised concerns about the removal of voters at the final publication stage when their names had already appeared in the draft electoral roll.
It also questioned the absence of prior notice to the affected residents, particularly when they had been registered as voters for several years.
The petitioners maintained that their names had remained on the electoral rolls for nearly 10 years and continued to appear in the draft list. They alleged that their exclusion from the final list occurred without any communication or opportunity to respond.
State Seeks Time to Obtain Instructions
The state government requested additional time to examine the allegations and seek instructions from the authorities concerned.
The High Court had initially scheduled the matter for October 14, indicating that it could require the appearance of the responsible officer if the state failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.
The matter was taken up on Tuesday, when the Court sought an explanation from the State Election Commission. The petition is now scheduled for further hearing on October 29.
