"It Is the Job of the Opposition to find faults": Choudhary defends EC
Defending the move, Minister Choudhary told ANI, ' It is the job of the opposition to find faults in everything. They are just looking for issues to blame their defeat on. The Election Commission is bringing transparency in the voter process, stage-wise...'
Responding to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's letter to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, Choudhary remarked, 'They are fighting hard for the 30%. We have 70% with us.'
The remarks come as the opposition, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, has intensified its criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise currently underway in Bihar.
'We have been continuously requesting time from the Election Commission that our delegation wants to meet you. It is unfortunate that in the state where elections are to be held, if the opposition wants to meet, the Election Commission is not providing time for the meeting. These people are bent on destroying democracy, the Election Commission is determined to shred the Constitution,' Yadav told ANI.
RJD leader added, 'The party's national president Lalu Yadav himself has written a letter to the Election Commission, but no reply has come... It seems that the Election Commission has become the BJP's commission. The BJP and Nitish Kumar are silent because they are losing; therefore, the Election Commission is helping them from behind... It has never happened before that the Election Commission is not giving time... They talk about one nation, one election, but elections are not being conducted properly in one place, dishonesty is happening...'
On Wednesday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had met representatives of various political parties at Nirvachan Sadan, said the Election Commission.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar is progressing smoothly and on schedule, despite concerns raised by opposition parties about possible voter exclusion.
Speaking at a training session for Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Gyanesh Kumar said, 'The implementation of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar is running as per schedule with the active participation of all election staff and all political parties in a transparent manner. Despite apprehensions of some persons, SIR will ensure that all eligible persons will be included.'
The Special Intensive Revision is a focused voter list update exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure electoral rolls are accurate ahead of upcoming elections.
Opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have expressed concern that the SIR process may be misused to disenfranchise voters, particularly the poor and marginalised communities.
In response, the ECI stated that the exercise is being conducted strictly in line with the provisions of Article 326 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. It said the aim is to remove ineligible entries while ensuring that no eligible voter is left out.
'Commission stated that SIR is being conducted per provisions of Article 326, RP Act 1950 & instructions issued on 24.06.2025. Party representatives raised concerns related to SIR. Each concern which was raised by any member of PP was fully addressed by the Commission,' the ECI said in an official post.The Commission also clarified that while some party representatives had prior appointments, others were allowed to join the meeting without one.'Some of the participants were given an appointment and others were allowed to join in without any prior appointment as the Commission decided to meet two representatives from every party to listen to all views,' the statement said.
The ECI assured that the SIR would be conducted transparently and fairly, with measures in place to support vulnerable groups, including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and economically vulnerable individuals.
A group of 18 leaders from 11 political parties met with the Election Commissioners regarding the upcoming Bihar elections. The exercise has faced heavy criticism from the opposition.The SIR involves house-to-house verification, online submission of forms, and assistance from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and volunteers. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
26 minutes ago
- News18
Grand Alliance Launches Statewide Protest In Bihar Over Voter List Revision
Last Updated: The agitation targets the ongoing revision of the electoral rolls, which Opposition parties allege is discriminatory and aimed at disenfranchising marginalised communities. As political temperatures rise in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Grand Alliance, led by Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, is staging a major protest in Patna today. The agitation targets the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, which opposition parties allege is discriminatory and aimed at disenfranchising marginalised communities. Here are 5 key things to know about the protest: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is in Patna today to lead a statewide protest against alleged irregularities in the ongoing voter list revision in Bihar. He is scheduled to march from the Income Tax roundabout to the Election Commission office near the Bihar Assembly at 10 am. This marks his seventh visit to the state in the past five months. Protest Over Alleged Bias in Voter Roll Revision The Congress, along with its allies — RJD and Left parties — is staging the 'chakka jam' to oppose what they claim is a biased Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. They allege the process is designed to suppress the votes of the poor, migrants, and marginalised communities. 'This is a direct attack on the voting rights of the poor," said Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram. The voter list revision, launched on June 24 by the Election Commission, mandates submission of any one of 11 ID documents. The opposition fears this could disenfranchise Dalits, Mahadalits, migrant workers, and economically weaker groups. They have called the update drive a 'conspiracy to block votes" in favour of the ruling alliance. Gandhi May Visit Family of Murdered Businessman Sources indicate that Rahul Gandhi may also meet the family of businessman Gopal Khemka, who was shot dead near Gandhi Maidan on July 4. The murder has intensified opposition attacks on the Bihar government over deteriorating law and order. Gandhi's visit is likely to add political weight to the opposition's narrative as the state gears up for a heated electoral season. (With inputs from IANS) view comments First Published: July 09, 2025, 07:55 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
38 minutes ago
- Hans India
Rail Roko For 42pc BC Quota: Kavitha's ‘trailer show' on July 17; warns of train services taking a hit
New Delhi: Telangana Jagruthi President Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the Centre, stating that not a single train would be allowed to move if it fails to approve the bill granting 42 per cent reservations to Backward Classes (BCs). The BRS leader announced a 'Rail Roko' protest for 17 July, demanding Presidential assent for the BC reservation bill passed by the Telangana Assembly. As an interim measure, she demanded that the Revanth Reddy government in Telangana issue a Government Order (GO) to implement the enhanced reservations in accordance with provisions under Article 243(D) of the Constitution. She questioned why Rahul Gandhi, who carries a copy of the Constitution around the country, was not advising the Telangana Chief Minister to issue such a GO. Speaking at a press conference at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi, Kavitha declared: 'We won't allow even a single train to move. Trains from Deccan to Delhi will be stopped. This is just a trailer. If the bill is not approved, we'll go for an indefinite Rail Roko. The 2.5 crore BC population in Telangana will teach the BJP a lesson.' She accused both the BJP and the Congress of betraying the BCs, adding that she would write letters to all political parties seeking support for the implementation of BC reservations. Kavitha alleged that the Congress-led government passed the BC reservation bill in the state assembly and sent it to the President merely to wash its hands of the matter. She also targeted Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, claiming that his concern for BCs began only after Congress lost power in 2014. Kavitha pointed out that even Congress-ruled states like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh have not yet conducted caste censuses. Kavitha urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who identifies himself as an OBC, to ensure justice for BCs by taking steps for Presidential approval of the Telangana BC reservation bills. She proposed that the Telangana BC bill be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, similar to Tamil Nadu's 69 per cent reservation policy.
Indian Express
41 minutes ago
- Indian Express
In Bihar, it's not just about a voter list
Confusion and chaos among ordinary people. Staggering discrepancy between official claims and ground reality. A majority of people without any of the documents that are being demanded of them. An overwhelming anxiety among the marginalised sections about losing their right to vote, if not their citizenship. These are some of the conclusions that emerged from a rapid appraisal, based on perhaps the first sample survey of its kind, of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise currently underway in Bihar. Over three days (July 5-7), volunteers of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan travelled to eight districts and collected information about 709 potential voters. They carried a copy of the latest electoral rolls of 2025 as well as the electoral rolls of 2003 for the relevant booth, downloaded from the Election Commission website. They conducted long face-to-face interviews with 163 households and asked them about supply of the enumeration forms and the availability of the documents required for enrolment as per the ECI order for each adult member of the household. The sudden announcement of the SIR and widespread reports about disruptions and apprehensions caused by it demanded a quick, if rough, idea of the big picture. Our survey cannot claim the level of accuracy of a proper scientific study. Six of the eight districts we surveyed (Katihar, Araria, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Saharsa, Sitamarhi, Patna and Rohtas) are in north Bihar. Except Patna (ranked among the top performers), all these fall among the middling performers in the SIR. While the selection of assembly segments (12 in all) and that of polling booths (17 in all) was dictated by the availability of teams, the household selected for interview was chosen randomly from the latest electoral rolls. While the findings of the survey are subject to a wide margin of error, they may be more robust than drawing-room speculation or anecdotal evidence. The big news first: Two-thirds of Bihar's adult population had not received the enumeration forms till the 13th day of the SIR. We found that, in all, only 43 per cent of families reported receiving enumeration forms, despite a slight but steady improvement on each day of our survey — from 39 per cent on the first day to 43 per cent on the final day. Since these forms are individualised (with the printed name and photo of the person from the latest ER), not all members of the family receive the forms simultaneously. In all, only 36 per cent of the adult household members reported receiving the form. Only 6 per cent had received two copies of the forms (one to be submitted and another to be retained by the applicant) as required under the SIR guidelines. The remaining 30 per cent were supplied only one copy. Compare these sobering figures with the official claims. The ECI claimed on July 5 that it had disbursed enumeration forms (presumably two copies each) to 94 per cent of the persons on the last electoral rolls. Not just that, the ECI has also claimed that more than 36 per cent have already filled in the enumeration form and submitted it to the election officials by July 7. Now, as mentioned above, our survey may contain fairly large errors, but the difference between the official claims of 94 per cent and the survey estimate of 36 per cent is simply too big to be the result of a sampling error. Unless the ECI has misread the number of forms dispatched from its office as the number delivered to the end user and the number of forms supplied as the number submitted, we are looking at a Himalayan discrepancy that is crying for attention. The survey findings also confirm the aggregate data analysis and the series of reports in this paper that a large proportion of the voters who may be required to submit documents to prove their citizenship do not possess any of the 11 documents on the ECI list. Our teams helped the household members to locate their names on the 2003 rolls and explained documentary requirements to those who did not figure there. In all, only 60 per cent of all the persons surveyed fulfilled the ECI's conditions for inclusion of their names as per the guidelines of the SIR. As many as 37 per cent of all persons did not fulfil any conditions: Their names did not figure on the 2003 rolls and they did not possess any one of the documents asked for by the ECI. (The remaining 3 per cent of cases were unclear.) The proportion of those who may be declared ineligible was staggering — above 60 per cent — among those in the age group 18-40. This rapid assessment estimate of 37 per cent 'ineligible' voters works out to about 2.9 crore potential eligible voters who may be deprived of their right to vote. The figure may come down if many people succeed in obtaining fresh certificates in the next fortnight. Or, if the ECI expands, formally or informally, the 'indicative (not exhaustive) list of documents' in its SIR order. As things stand today, the apprehension of mass disenfranchisement is not misplaced. Our teams discovered that marginalised social groups — poor, Dalit, extremely backward communities, Muslims and women cutting across all communities — were disproportionately at the receiving end of possible exclusion. In the village of Sharanpur, 25 km from Araria, is the Nonia (EBC) family of Rampati Devi. Four of the eight adults do not have their names on the 2003 list, nor do they have any of the listed documents. Like most families we surveyed, they have Aadhaar and ration cards and the MGNREGA job card, which the ECI won't accept. The condition was much worse in families in Mahadalit groups like Musahars. Our surveyors found a mad rush for caste or residence certificates, often triggered by the BLO's instructions. In Sonvarsha segment of Saharsa district, Pirvat Ram, a Dalit worker, has spent Rs 150 to apply for a caste certificate for himself, his wife and his mother. Women face a special problem. In the family of Palti Devi from Bahadurpur in Darbhanga, her three daughters-in-law, Sanjana (26), Pooja (20) and Neha (18), do not know if their parents had their names in the 2003 list. Tara Khatoon (47) and Kismato Khatoon (36) in Surjapur tola have the same question: How do we get the 2003 list from our mayka (parents' home)? To be sure, this preliminary and rough estimate cannot settle the debate on the impact of the SIR. But at the very least, it points to a desperate need for independent verification of official claims. We would invite all mediapersons to travel to rural Bihar and investigate the ground reality. We would urge academics and social scientists to carry out bigger and more representative sample surveys, immediately after July 25, to assess the impact of the SIR. We would also urge the ECI to put out unit-level data (names of persons who have submitted forms) in the public domain, so that it can be verified. (This is not confidential information, as the draft electoral roll will in any case be published.) What is at stake is not just the voter list in Bihar, but the very principle of universal adult franchise. Kamayani swami is state coordinator of Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan, Bihar. Rahul Shastri and Yogendra Yadav work with the national team of Bharat Jodo would like to thank district team leaders Ram Babu Arya, Mohammad Tawfeej, Pawan, Govind, Umesh Sharma, Vishwaranjan, Sanjay Kumar and Bhola Nath Singh
