Delhi High Court limits liability for booth-level agents

The Delhi High Court has ruled that booth-level agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are only liable for information they can personally verify.

Justice Amit Bansal observed that a BLA’s responsibility does not extend to certifying every detail within an elector’s enumeration form. Instead, liability under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act is limited to verifiable particulars, such as confirming that a photograph in an enumeration form matches the identity of the elector.

The ruling follows a petition filed by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav and another individual. The petition challenged guidelines from the Election Commission of India (ECI) that required BLAs to provide personal undertakings certifying they had verified all particulars in enumeration forms. The petitioners argued that neither the Representation of the People Act nor the Registration of Electors Rules authorize the ECI to impose such obligations.