JAMMU: Election Commission of India has described as baseless the allegations regarding discrepancies or irregularities in the final electoral rolls after completing the Special Summary Revision, asserting that the Commission is committed to ensuring free and seamless elections with focus on transparency in the entire process
The final Electoral Rolls published on 6th and 7th January 2025 following the countrywide Special Summary Revision (SSR) has witnessed an unprecedented level of acceptance, with very few first or second appeals filed under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
These appeals pertained to corrections under Section 22 and inclusions under Section 23 of the Act.
As per the data released by ECI, this comprehensive exercise covered nearly 10.5 lakh polling booths across the country and was conducted with the active involvement of 13.87 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by the political parties, spanning 4,123 Assembly Constituencies nationwide.
The absence of any large scale appeals indicates a broad consensus and acceptance of the updated electoral rolls by all stakeholders. Accordingly, the Electoral Rolls published post-SSR in January 2025 are now to be treated as undisputed.
It may be recalled that the SSR 2025 exercise was conducted with particular emphasis on States and Union Territories slated for Assembly Elections after the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reiterated its commitment to free, fair, inclusive and transparent electoral processes. It views the smooth completion and acceptance of the SSR 2025 as a major step forward in strengthening the foundations of democracy.
As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the whole exercise was conducted meticulously with not a single first or second level appeal reported in the Union Territory. This accuracy and proficiency ensured in the SSR for J&K is testament to the commitment of Election Commission of India towards ensuring a transparent and efficient electoral process, while upholding the sanctity of a democratic system.
“The lack of appeals following the publication of the electoral rolls is a testament to the transparency, inclusiveness and robustness of the SSR process. With active participation from political parties through their Booth Level Agents, we are confident that the electoral rolls published in January 2025 reflect a high level of accuracy and public trust,” said a representative of the Chief Electoral Office (ECI).
