On Thursday, Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam told election officials that voter documents sent via WhatsApp will be accepted during the state’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The move comes after a request for software tweaks to give Electoral Registration Officers more discretion. The directive supersedes earlier guidelines that required physical copies.
The SIR deadline is now October 12, with notice disposal concluding on November 10 and final roll publication on November 16. The extension gives voters an extra 12 days to submit objections. Election officials will also conduct household verification if documents appear suspicious.
Chockalingam’s letter sought four changes to ECINet, allowing EROs to exercise powers already granted by law. Congress has argued that the system dilutes statutory authority. The opposition fears that automatic approval could compromise roll accuracy.
The Election Commission faced criticism after it was revealed that Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi logged at least 14 objections over ten months to SIR decisions, some allegedly made without their knowledge. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the three‑member body acted unanimously on all matters.
BLOs are now instructed to verify any WhatsApp‑submitted documents on the spot and to flag anomalies. The next phase will see the revised rolls published by mid‑November, after the final review.