ADR moves Supreme Court challenging electoral roll revision in Bihar
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India Today
37 minutes ago
- India Today
Why were they allowed in Lok Sabha polls? Owaisi slams Bihar voter list clean-up
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections, questioning both the timing and the process adopted by the Election Commission of to reporters after visiting the Election Commission's office, Owaisi said, "Even if 15–20% of people are missed from the list, they will also lose their citizenship. We are not against the Special Intensive Revision, but time must be given. If there were illegal migrants, then why were they allowed to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections? How did they vote then?' he asked. He also accused the BJP and RSS of spreading misinformation about 'infiltrators' from Bangladesh. 'After the 1971 war, India allowed them to stay. How did they suddenly become infiltrators today?".advertisementOwaisi warned that removing names from the voter list is not just about losing the right to vote, but also threatens people's livelihood and access to welfare benefits. "If someone's name is struck off, it's not just a missed vote — it is an issue of survival for the poor who have no documents. Many migrant workers returned to Bihar but now have no papers to prove their identity," he said. He alleged that the decision to launch the clean-up drive was rushed. "We have told the Commission that this decision was taken in haste. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have not even been given proper handbooks to carry out the work," he AIMIM chief hinted that legal action could be an option but stopped short of a commitment. "Whether we go to court or not, time will tell," he said, adding that the party will also consult with other opposition parties on the next Bihar state president and MLA Akhtarul Iman echoed similar concerns. He urged the ECI to extend the deadline or halt the process, citing widespread lack of documentation among the poor, migrant labourers, and those affected by seasonal floods."In Bihar, only 2 per cent of people have passports, and just 14 per cent are graduates. Most poor people don't have documents. Many have lost their papers during floods. There is fear that these people will lose their right to vote," Iman June 24, the Election Commission directed a Special Intensive Revision of the state's electoral rolls, the first such large-scale exercise since 2003. The ECI said the revision is aimed at removing ineligible names, including deceased voters and alleged illegal immigrants, and ensuring only genuine citizens remain on the rolls. The Commission cited factors like rapid urbanisation, high migration, and under-reporting of deaths to justify the however, remains firm and said, "Our only issue is how the Election Commission can carry out such a huge exercise in such a short time. People will face the consequences".- Ends
Scroll.in
44 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Supreme Court to hear petitions against Bihar voter list revision on July 10
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear petitions challenging the Election Commission's decision to carry out a special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar on July 10, Live Law reported. The special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24, ahead of the Assembly elections expected to be held in the state in October or November. As part of the exercise, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility to vote. This means that 2.9 crore out of the state's 7.8 crore voters – or about 37% of the electors – will have to submit documentary evidence. Petitions against the exercise have been filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jhal, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, non-governmental organisations Association for Democratic Reforms and People's Union for Civil Liberties and activist Yogendra Yadav. The lawyers representing the petitioners on Monday mentioned the matter before a two-judge bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, requesting an urgent hearing. They argued that if voters do not submit forms along with specific documents by the deadline, their names could be removed from the voter list, even if they have been voting for over two decades. Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing one of the petitioners, told the court that the Election Commission's June 24 notification imposed a strict deadline on marginalised voters to produce documents, and that the accepted documents did not include commonly used ones such as Aadhaar and ration cards, The Hindu reported. The court, while agreeing to hear the case on July 10, allowed the petitioners to give advance notice to the Election Commission. Revision of electoral rolls The special intensive revision guidelines state that the voters born before July 1, 1987, must show proof of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must also submit documents establishing the date and place of birth of one of their parents. Those born after December 2, 2004, will need proof of date of birth for themselves and both parents. If the officers are satisfied with the details provided, the voters will be re-enrolled to a new voter list by electoral registration officers. If not, they will be removed from the voter lists. A draft roll will be published on August 1 and the final roll will be out on September 30. On Wednesday, eleven INDIA bloc parties told the Election Commission that the exercise risked disenfranchising more than 2.5 crore voters, as they may not be able to produce the necessary documents. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday defended the ongoing special intensive revision of Bihar's electoral rolls, claiming that the exercise had to be carried out as no one was satisfied with the current voter rolls.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
No one fully satisfied, says poll panel as Bihar voter roll clean-up continues
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 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 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 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 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 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 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
