PIL in SC for common electoral rolls to save public money

A BJP member has moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre and Election Commission for common electoral rolls for Parliament, assembly and local body polls to save public money and manpower.
The petition, filed by Delhi BJP leader Ashwani Upadhyay, also sought direction to the authorities to take steps to use 'Totaliser' for counting of votes. 'Totaliser' is a device which allows votes cast in about 14 polling booths to be counted together.
"By virtue of common electoral rolls, the Parliamentary and Assembly rolls can be used in the local body elections, saving time, effort and expenditure, with the requisite modifications based on the wards or polling areas of the local bodies," the plea said.

It referred to the provisions of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, under which votes in the EVMs are to be counted polling station-wise and said that it led to situations where voting pattern in various localities/pockets become known to everyone.
"This results in victimisation, discrimination and intimidation," it said.
The petitioner also proposed that post offices be used as the nodal agency for voter registration and verification saying it will not only overcome the issue of duplication and confusion but also save huge public money and manpower.
"There is a non-uniformity of practice amongst States, which causes duplication of essentially same task between the two different constitutional bodies, that is the Election Commission and State Election Commissions that entails the same effort and huge expenditure again by the States," the PIL said.

The plea sought that elections be held on a Sunday, like in several other countries, to enable maximum voter turnout.