Section 13D: Section 13D – Electoral Rolls for Parliamentary Constituencies

Overview

Section 13D of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 explains how the voter list (electoral roll) for a Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) constituency is made. It primarily states that, generally, the Lok Sabha voter list is simply a combination of the voter lists from the Assembly (State Legislative Assembly) constituencies that fall within that Lok Sabha area.

Key Provisions

• General Rule: For most of India, the Lok Sabha electoral roll is created by combining the electoral rolls of all the Assembly constituencies within that Lok Sabha constituency. This means there isn’t a separate voter list specifically for the Lok Sabha election.
• Special Provision for Nagaland (Tuensang District): For a specific area in Nagaland (Tuensang district) and during a specific period defined by Article 371A(2) of the Constitution, a separate voter list is prepared following the rules used for Assembly constituencies.
• Special Provision for Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territories: For Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territories without a Legislative Assembly, the rules for preparing Assembly constituency voter lists are directly applied to create the Lok Sabha voter list.

Impact on Voters and Electoral Rolls

This section significantly impacts how voter registration works. Because the Lok Sabha roll is usually built from Assembly rolls, any changes you make to your voter information at the Assembly constituency level (like updating your address) will automatically reflect in the Lok Sabha voter list. This simplifies the process for voters. It also means that large-scale revisions of voter lists, like Special Intensive Revisions (SIR), done at the Assembly level, automatically update the Lok Sabha rolls.

Practical Examples

• Example 1: Suppose you live in Delhi and your Assembly constituency is ‘New Delhi’. When the Election Commission prepares the voter list for the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, it simply combines the voter lists of all the Assembly constituencies (like ‘New Delhi’, ‘Connaught Place’, etc.) that make up the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat.
• Example 2: Imagine a voter in the Tuensang district of Nagaland. Because of Article 371A(2), their voter registration process is handled as if they were registering for a State Assembly election, even though they are ultimately voting for a Member of Parliament. This means a separate, detailed process is followed for their registration.

Related Sections / Rules

This section works closely with: Part III of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (which deals with electoral rolls for Assembly constituencies), Section 14 (regarding publication of electoral rolls), and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 (which provides detailed procedures for voter registration and revision of electoral rolls). Understanding these sections together is crucial for a complete picture of how voter lists are managed in India.