SC Seeks Response From EC On Increase In Voters Per Polling Station

Surjagarh Mine Arson Case

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Election Commission regarding a Public Interest Litigation challenging its decision to increase the maximum number of voters per polling station from 1,200-1,500.

The court expressed concern over the potential impact of this decision on voter inclusion.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar instructed senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the Election Commission, to file a short affidavit within three weeks explaining the rationale behind the increase.

The bench emphasized that no voter should be excluded and noted that political parties are consulted in each constituency when adjustments are made to the number of voters per electronic voting machine (EVM). Singh clarified that voters are allowed to cast their ballots even beyond the prescribed time.

The court scheduled the PIL for further hearing in the week beginning January 27, 2025, and directed the Election Commission to provide a copy of its affidavit to the petitioner before the next hearing.

The PIL, filed by Indu Prakash Singh, challenges two communications issued by the EC in August, which increased the number of voters per polling station across India. Singh argues that the decision is arbitrary and lacks supporting data.