However, officials from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra have indicated that this number is not final and may change by the time the enumeration exercise concludes and the draft electoral roll is published.
According to data from the Election Commission, enumeration forms have been distributed to 94.23% of the state’s voters. Of the total electorate, 77% of the forms have been digitized, while 17% fall under the ASDD category. This means that around 6% of voters still have pending enumeration, according to CEO officials.
The rate of voters in the ASDD category is notably higher in Mumbai.
In the Mumbai suburbs, 95.42% of voters have received enumeration forms as of August 10. Forms for 62.41% have been digitized, with 22.71% of names categorized as ASDD.
The situation is even more pronounced in Mumbai city, including South Mumbai. Here, enumeration forms have been distributed to 99.3% of voters, but only 61.07% of the forms have been digitized, leading to 35.91% of names falling under the ASDD category.
With only a week left before the deadline, Maharashtra election officials have emphasized that these numbers are subject to change.
Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, S Chockalingam, informed CNBC-TV18, “With one more week left for the enumeration form submission, these figures are not final and are likely to vary.”
Chockalingam also highlighted that being in the ASDD category does not equate to being removed from the electoral roll.
“Even after the final draft is published, names missing from the list shouldn’t be deemed deleted. They can file an appeal, and later still submit a new form. Since there are no significant elections in Maharashtra for the next three years, individuals will have ample time to register as voters,” he stated.
BLO home visits
In response to reports about Booth Level Officers (BLOs) not visiting homes, Chockalingam noted a substantial improvement in this area.
“Previously, we faced challenges in this regard. But now, the situation has markedly improved, with BLO visits occurring in over 95% of instances across both Mumbai and Maharashtra. Earlier complaints about BLOs not visiting households have significantly decreased. Political parties also raised similar issues, and we acknowledged them, instructing BLOs to ensure mandatory home visits,” he remarked to CNBC-TV18.
‘Fix a Call with BLO’
Regarding the ‘Fix a Call with BLO’ feature in the ECINET app, Chockalingam acknowledged there have been considerable delays in BLOs returning calls due to the high volume of requests.
He assured that BLOs are now responding to calls and working through the backlog, which is anticipated to be resolved soon.
However, several individuals spoke to CNBC-TV18 about receiving messages requesting feedback on calls with BLOs, despite not having received any calls.
Online form filing and e-signature issues
Addressing the challenges voters face in filing forms online, particularly with the e-signature process, Chockalingam stated that discrepancies in spelling across various documents have been the root of the problem.
He reiterated that minimal deletions are expected in Maharashtra and assured voters that they will have sufficient chances to appeal or submit a new form for registration, as the voter registration process is ongoing.
