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Showcause to EC over debarring 400,000 Assam voters

The Guwahati high court has issued a showcause notice to the Election Commission following a petition by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee challenging the EC's order debarring about 400,000 'doubtful' voters from voting.

Justice Jiten Sharma issued the showcause notice to the Election Commission, and the state chief electoral officer to be returnable on February 9.

The petition was filed by three other citizens besides Abdul Kayum, an APCC secretary, challenging the EC order dated January 6 barring 367,000 voters from exercising their franchise in and subsequent elections of the legislature, panchyat and local bodies.

The EC had, in an unprecedented order, asked the chief electoral officer to put a 'D' mark against the names of doubtful citizens and accordingly, 367,000 such names were detected.

Arguing the case for the petitioner, Suchen Bhuyan, a former advocate general of the state, pleaded that 'D' termed names were citizens of India by birth and they cast their votes in previous elections. Besides, their names were published in the draft electoral rolls and no objection was filed against including their names.

The APCC had already made a representation on December 19 to the Election Commission and the chief electoral officer of the state demanding withdrawal of the order enabling genuine voters to take part in the poll. It was also alleged that no opportunity was given to the aggrieved persons.

UNI

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