The Delhi High Court on Wednesday instructed the Election Commission of India (EC) to address a petition concerning alleged duplicate entries in Delhi’s voter list at an “appropriate stage.” The court emphasized the adoption of technological tools that could assist in resolving such discrepancies.
During the hearing, the bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, acknowledged the timing concerns raised by the petitioner, noting that the Delhi assembly elections would conclude before the EC could take substantive action. “Before every election, these matters come,” remarked Justice Bakhru, pointing to the routine nature of such legal challenges during election cycles.
The petitioner, represented by the political party Rashtravadi Aadarsh Mahasangh, argued that even a former chief minister had been affected by the issue of duplicate names in the voter list. The plea highlighted the availability of technological tools capable of detecting and eliminating duplicate entries and urged the Election Commission to implement such technologies.
However, Advocate Sidhant Kumar, appearing for the EC, countered that the petition lacked specific instances of alleged duplication. He assured the court that the Commission had already completed the necessary revision of electoral rolls and that similar issues had previously been reviewed by the Supreme Court.
The court’s decision did not mandate immediate action but directed the Election Commission to keep an open mind about using advanced technological solutions. “We are only asking you to not close your mind,” the court advised the EC’s counsel, suggesting a proactive approach to voter list accuracy.
