Bihar Assembly Elections: Seemanchal, close to Bangladesh, sees significant voter deletion
Bihar's Seemanchal region, comprising Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, and Katihar, has experienced significant voter deletions in the draft electoral roll, totaling several lakhs. These districts, bordering Bangladesh and Nepal with a high Muslim population, are known for infiltration. The region's 24 assembly seats are crucial for the NDA and INDIA bloc, marked by communal polarization and close contests.
Agencies Bihar's Seemanchal region which accommodates four districts - Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia and Katihar - has witnessed a significant voter deletion in the draft electoral roll. Since the region is close to Bangladesh and shares boundaries with Nepal, these four districts, which have a high Muslim population, are known for infiltration. Araria saw a deletion of 1,58,072 voters, Kishanganj 1,45,668, Purnia 2,73,920 and Katihar 1,84,254 in the draft list. Now after the deletion, the number of voters in Araria stands at 19,24,414; Kishanganj 10,86,242; Purnia 19,94,511 and Katihar 20,44,809. The Seemanchal region, which has 24 assembly seats, is considered a tough battlefield for both main political players - ruling NDA and main Opposition INDIA bloc (previously known as Mahagathbandhan) because of polarisation of voters on communal lines during the elections.
In most of the 24 constituencies, the candidates faced close contests in the previous elections. In 2020 assembly polls, AIMIM had made its presence felt in this region by bagging five seats. The presence of AIMIM candidates in different seats of this region was a major source of trouble for the Mahagtahbandhan then. Although a clear political picture of the Seemanchal region will emerge after the final publication of electors' list, both the NDA and INDIA bloc are set to swing into action to ensure proper verification of the draft list of electors in this region.
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Voters of this region have applied for residential certificates in bigger number than other places as many people did not have other documents out of the 11 sought by the EC for the SIR (for those whose names were not on the 2003 voters' list).' The RJD-led Opposition Mahagathbandhan said they would closely track the SIR's second phase of claims and objections to see if it has followed 'due process of voter deletions'. RJD leader and Buxar MP Sudhakar Singh said: 'We have serious doubts on EC's pruning of electoral rolls. We will soon get the numbers of claims and objections from voters, which could be overwhelming. Our BLAs are on the job.' CPI (ML) Liberation office secretary Kumar Parvez told The Indian Express: 'We are holding public hearings. We are also getting calls from some migrants who have not shifted permanently. By mid-August, we would get to know whether the EC has deleted a significant number of genuine voters as well.' 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