Jharkhand SIR: Sarvdalya Manch to stage protest in Mahuadnr against voter name deletions
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, September 9: The Sarvdalya Manch Mahuadnr has announced a one-day public protest in Mahuadnr on September 10…
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THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 9: The Sarvdalya Manch Mahuadnr has announced a one-day public protest in Mahuadnr on September 10 against what it has described as a “conspiratorial and deliberate drive” to delete voters’ names through Form 7 during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protest will be held at Shaheed Chowk in Mahuadnr and is being led by Ajit Pal Kujur and others.
Magistrate deployed for September 10 protest
Mahuadnr SDM has issued an order deputing a junior engineer as magistrate on duty for the dharna-pradarshan scheduled for September 10.
Local police have also been directed to maintain public order during the protest.
The Jharkhand Story Network correspondent has a copy of the order issued by the SDM Mahuadnr.
Voters challenge ‘permanently shifted’ claims
Sources said the ongoing SIR 2026 has triggered an unusual level of public concern over electoral-roll revision, with voters reportedly queueing up to challenge claims that they have permanently shifted from their registered places of residence or remained absent for extended periods.
The voters argue that migration for livelihood for one or two years cannot be treated as permanent relocation when their houses and other residential structures continue to exist.
Those facing proposed deletion under Form 7 have also argued that their families continue to collect monthly rations from the concerned Public Distribution System (PDS), which, they contend, contradicts the “permanently shifted” classification.
They have further pointed out that their children continue to attend government schools, which they say also indicates that the families remain connected to their places of residence.
Similarly, if a woman from a family is a member of a government-owned Sakhi Mandal, the prolonged absence of a male family member from the place of residence, they argue, should not automatically be construed as absence or permanent relocation.
Latehar DC appeals to voters to remain calm
District Election Officer Latehar Sandip Kumar, who is the DC here, has appealed to voters to remain calm and not become impatient, saying the administration is aware of the situation.
Sandip Kumar said, “Applicant who so requests for deletion of names of voters in Form 7 has to mandatorily substantiate the reason for it, failing which the said applicant will be ready to face punitive actions.”
Debate over ‘Ineligible Voter’ terminology
The issue has also triggered a debate over the terminology being used in connection with the electoral-roll revision. A particular political party, according to the copy, has coined the term “Ineligible Voter”.
The argument raised is that an underage person cannot be a voter in the first place. Similarly, a deceased person cannot be an eligible voter, but if the name of a deceased person continues to appear on the electoral roll, it is a systemic flaw and not something for which the deceased can be held responsible.
The copy also argues that a person already enrolled as a voter cannot be enrolled again without cancelling the existing enrolment, comparing this to the rule against holding two PAN Cards.
It further states that a person who is “Not a citizen of India” cannot be a voter, but questions whether an applicant filing Form 7 has the authority to independently declare or claim that a voter is not an Indian citizen.
The Citizenship Act, 1955, provides the legal framework governing citizenship, including how citizenship is acquired and the circumstances under which it may cease, the copy states.
