In a significant effort to cleanse the electoral process in the country, the election commission on Thursday said it had decided to delete the names of all those against whom non-bailable warrants are pending for over six months from the voters list.
Election commission sources said in Delhi that in a communication to the chief electoral officers of all the states and union territories, the commission had asked them to initiate immediate action in this regard.
The commission's decision comes close on the heels of its directive to Bihar to remove names of electors declared as absconders by September 19 to ensure fair elections in the sensitive state later this year.
The move assumes significance as it comes ahead of assembly elections in key states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Pondicherry next year.
The director generals of police from the states and union territories have been directed to furnish to ceos by September 10 full details of residential addresses against whom the non bailable warrants have remained unexecuted for more than 6 months.
The whole exercise should be completed by October 10, the election commission said in its order.