The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the Election Commission’s decision to keep 2002 as the base year for the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Sikkim, PTI reported.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was hearing the plea filed by a Sikkim-based non-governmental organisation seeking a direction to the poll panel to consider 1993 as the base year instead of 2002.

Sikkim is among the 16 states where the voter roll revision is underway in the third phase of SIR. While the draft electoral roll for the state was released on July 5, the final list is scheduled to be published on September 6.

“The goal post cannot be shifted in the middle of the exercise,” PTI quoted the court as saying.

It noted that 2002 has been kept as the base year across the country and said that it will not interfere with the Election Commission’s decision.

The petitioner’s lawyer contended that Sikkim’s distinct demographic composition set it apart from other states, Live Law reported. The lawyer further argued that the state’s “population data did not correspond with the electoral data”.

The bench said that those included in the 2002 electoral roll had subsequently voted in elections held in Sikkim, PTI reported. However, it said the petitioner could take up the matter with the poll panel and seek a “reasonable exemption” for the state.

More than 37,000 voters, or 8% of electors, have been removed from the draft rolls in Sikkim. The state had 4.7 lakh voters before the special intensive revision process started. It now has 4.3 lakh voters in the draft list. The process of hearing claims and objections against removal from the draft list is underway in the state.

Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.

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