Coordination meeting held in Soreng to strengthen voter registration process

In accordance with the directives of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the District Election Office in Soreng convened the monthly coordination meeting of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with representatives of political parties. The meeting took place at the District Administrative Centre (DAC), Soreng, with the aim of improving the voter registration process and ensuring better coordination between election officials and political stakeholders.

The meeting was chaired by the designated EROs of the four Assembly Constituencies under Soreng District. These included Mr. Santosh Kumar Allay, Additional District Collector-II for Rinchenpong constituency; Mr. Prem K. Subba, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Headquarters) for Daramdin; Ms. Sakchum Lepcha, SDM of Soreng for Soreng-Chakung constituency; and Mr. Daya Ram Bista, Additional District Collector-I for Salghari-Zoom constituency. Each officer led discussions relevant to their assigned areas and guided the dialogue on electoral preparedness.

The main focus of the meeting was to build a stronger and more inclusive electoral process by fostering cooperation between the EROs and political parties. The agenda covered a wide range of topics, including eligibility criteria for voter enrolment, clarification of citizenship requirements, and updates on key qualifying dates for the electoral roll revision. The procedures for inclusion, deletion, correction, and transfer of voter details—governed under Forms 6, 7, and 8—were also explained in detail to the attendees.

The EROs also highlighted the importance of identifying and marking Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) correctly in the electoral roll, updating incomplete names, and completing the removal of duplicate entries of Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) across all constituencies. Another significant point discussed was the status of Booth Level Agents (BLAs), who are appointed by political parties to support electoral work at the ground level. The EROs requested the political parties to promptly submit the list of BLAs so that appointments can be completed in a timely manner.

Representatives from various political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), and Citizen Action Party (CAP) Sikkim, actively participated in the meeting. They raised several important concerns such as the need for rationalisation of polling stations to make voting more accessible, proper identification of newly eligible PwD voters, and ensuring that voter details in the rolls are accurate and up to date.

Election officials present at the meeting welcomed the suggestions from political party representatives and assured them that all concerns would be addressed in coordination with the guidelines of the Election Commission.