Election Commission Investigates Foreign Nationals Who Voted in Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls Central and state law-enforcement agencies, in collaboration with the Election Commission of India (ECI), are intensifying efforts to identify foreign nationals who may have participated in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Investigators are focusing on individuals who returned to their home countries shortly after the April 23 polling, following the detection of around 40 cases involving foreign nationals of Indian origin allegedly voting in the election. The Bureau of Immigration, Government of India, has been enlisted to trace individuals who arrived in Tamil Nadu ahead of the polls and departed within two to three days of voting. The probe centers on verifying whether these individuals cast their ballots and whether their names were erroneously retained on electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. A senior state government official emphasized that if foreign nationals were found to have voted, it would constitute a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The official stated that investigators are examining how such names were not removed during the SIR, which is designed to ensure voters are accurately registered. “If a voter is falsely shown to be residing in India, action will be taken against those responsible for making the false declaration,” the official said. A notable case involves a United Kingdom national of Indian origin who was detained at Chennai airport after admitting to voting in the Velachery constituency. The individual was handed over to local police for further investigation.#tamil_nadu #special_intensive_revision #election_commission_of_india #representation_of_the_people_act #chennai_airport
1.60 lakh additions in Jammu and Kashmir annual voter roll revision, 67,690 entries deleted More than 1.60 lakh voters were added to the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir during the recent special summary revision (SSR), while 67,690 names were removed, and 2.29 lakh corrections were made, according to official data. Jammu district recorded the highest number of deletions, which included “duplicate” and “shifted” entries, during the annual voter list revision. The special summary revision is distinct from the special intensive revision (SIR) conducted in other states. District-wise, Jammu had the largest number of electors at 11,89,555, followed by Srinagar with 7,53,222 and Baramulla with 7,20,500 voters. Srinagar saw the most additions, with 30,077 new entries, followed by Jammu with 16,855 and Baramulla with 11,854. Jammu also had the highest deletions at 10,430, followed by Budgam with 7,762 and Anantnag with 5,241. The total electorate in Jammu and Kashmir stands at 87,42,878, comprising 44,65,161 male voters, 42,77,568 female voters, and 149 third gender voters. Officials highlighted efforts to achieve 100% voter enrolment, particularly among underrepresented groups. These efforts include the special summary revision under the Representation of the People Act, which now allows four qualifying dates for voter registration—January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. The Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme is being implemented to boost voter awareness and participation. Election authorities have launched initiatives under SVEEP to engage youth, women, and marginalized communities. The programme emphasizes informed voting practices and educational outreach.#jammu_and_kashmir #special_summary_revision #representation_of_the_people_act #sveep_programme #jammu_district
