Election Commission of India has substantially redressed grievance: Gauhati High Court

 Petition over dichotomy in voter I-cards

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has observed that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has "substantially redressed" a dichotomy in the Photo Identity Cards issued to voters in Assam, which was highlighted via a Writ Petition filed by former Rajya Sabha MP Joyashree Goswami Mahanta in 2016.

In this context, Goswami Mahanta informed the media here on Saturday that in other states of the country men and unmarried women have to mention their respective father's name while married women have to mention their respective husband's name. However, in Assam the voters had to mention the ambiguous term 'relation's name'. She further said that she had submitted in her Writ Petition that the vague term of 'relation's name' could be misused by persons living in other states for entering their names in the electoral rolls of Assam.

Joyashree Goswami Mahanta said that the Constitutional rights and dignity of the voters of Assam have been protected as a result of her Writ Petition.

It is pertinent to mention that the High Court closed her Writ Petition on September 21 last after the standing counsel of the ECI exhibited a current Photo Identity Card issued by the Election Commission and submitted that all the grievances of the petitioner have been redressed as the Photo Identity Cards now in use include the name of the father or husband concerned. The ECI's counsel also placed before the court the relevant prescription form - Form-6 - which is required to be filled up for preparation and issuance of the electoral rolls, in which all the details of the electors are mentioned. The counsel further argued that Rule 28 of the Registration of Electoral Rules, 1960 is adequate to prevent impersonation by any ineligible voter.

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