No one fully satisfied, says poll panel as Bihar voter roll clean-up continues

India Today

4 hours ago

In poll-bound Bihar, the Election Commission's massive voter list overhaul has left political parties across the board dissatisfied, for reasons ranging from alleged disenfranchisement to questions over timing and intent.Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar admitted that "for one reason or another, no one (political parties) seems fully satisfied with the current status of the voter list," even as the Election Commission goes ahead with its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, covering nearly eight crore voters in the state ahead of Assembly elections due later this year.advertisementOver the past four months, the Election Commission has held nearly 5,000 meetings with representatives of several political parties. All 4,123 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 775 District Election Officers (DEOs) and 36 Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) have been engaged in the drive, which aims to weed out ineligible names and ensure an updated roll ahead of the upcoming elections.
However, the revision has sparked a legal and political battle. Bihar's chief opposition party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has challenged the process in the Supreme Court, alleging it could strike off over two crore voters and questioning why Bihar alone is being targetted when the last nationwide revision was conducted in 2003.The BJP-led NDA has defended the exercise, citing rapid urbanisation, migration, unreported deaths and the inclusion of illegal immigrants as reasons for the update. It has also accused the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan of raising 'excuses' in anticipation of defeat.Meanwhile, the the poll panel has insisted that the process is transparent and warned voters against misleading and false claims being circulated by "some people" without reading the official orders. As per the June 24 directive, draft rolls will be published on August 1, including names for which forms are received by July 25. Voters can file claims and objections till then.Between June 25 and September 30, nearly 30 million residents will have to produce documentary proof of their date and place of birth. Those born after 1987 must also submit similar documents for each parent.Empowered by Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission is both authorised and duty-bound to maintain the accuracy of the electoral roll. The Commission has invoked these powers multiple times in the past — most notably during intensive revisions in 1952-56, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1983-84, 1987-89, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2004.- EndsTrending Reel