Latest news with #GyaneshKumar
Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Aim to ensure no eligible voter left out, no ineligible voter in list: CEC amid Opp heat
With the Opposition raising concerns over the ongoing special intensive revision of Bihar's electoral rolls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday that the objective was to 'ensure that no eligible voter is left out' and 'no ineligible voter is included'. The Election Commission (EC) said the revision was required as the 'electoral roll is always a dynamic list which keeps changing', and the Constitution mandates that only 'Indian citizens are eligible to be registered as electors'. The EC also underlined that as per its instructions issued on June 24, any person whose name was not in the 2003 electoral roll could still submit an extract of that electoral roll as proof for their mother or father, instead of submitting any other document. According to the EC's order, those who were not on the rolls in 2003 — the last time that an intensive revision was done in Bihar — would have to submit proof of date and/ or place of birth of themselves if born before July 1, 1987; proof of date and/ or place of birth of themselves and one parent if born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004; proof of date and/ or place of birth of themselves and both parents if born after December 2, 2004. These categories are as per the citizenship requirements in the Citizenship Act, 1955, EC sources had said. 'Further, as per instructions, anyone whose name is not in the 2003 Bihar electoral roll can still use the extract of 2003 electoral roll rather than providing any other documents for his/ her mother or father. In such cases, no other document would be required for his/ her mother or father. Only the relevant extract/ details of the 2003 electoral roll would be sufficient. Such electors would have to submit the documents only for themselves, along with the filled-up enumeration form,' the EC reiterated Monday. On Saturday, the EC had said that of the total 7.89 crore electors, 4.96 crore who were on the rolls as on January 1, 2003 would only have to submit the new enumeration form. This means that the remaining 2.93 crore, or about 37% of the electors, would have to submit documents establishing citizenship in addition to the form. 'The objective of the special intensive revision is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and, at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the electoral rolIs. More than 1 lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their enumeration forms,' CEC Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday. 'The Election Commission of India has uploaded the 2003 electoral roll of Bihar, comprising details of 4.96 crore electors, on the ECI website… The ease of availability of 2003 electoral rolls of Bihar, would hugely facilitate the ongoing special intensive revision in Bihar as now nearly 60 per cent of the total electorate, would not have to submit any documents. They have to just verify their details from the 2003 electoral rolls… and submit the filled-up enumeration form. Both the electors as well the BLOs (booth level officers) would be able to readily access these details,' the EC said in a statement. The EC said the revision of the electoral rolls was mandatory before every election, as per Section 21(2)(a) of the Representation of People Act 1950, and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. 'ECI has been conducting annual revisions, intensive as well as summary, for 75 years by now. This exercise is required as the electoral roll is always a dynamic list which keeps changing due to deaths, shifting of people due to various reasons such as migration due to occupation/ education/ marriage, addition of new voters who have turned 18 etc. Further, Article 326 of the Constitution specifies the eligibility to become an elector. Only Indian citizens, above 18 years and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible to be registered as an elector,' the EC said. While the EC has started the process of revising the electoral rolls in Bihar, where elections are due in November, the exercise will be expanded to other states too.
News18
10 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: No Eligible Voter Left Out, No Ineligible Included, CEC Tells News18
Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: Special Intensive Revision (SIR) came in light of increasing demand of political parties to cleanse electoral rolls based on eligibility conditions The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar was initiated to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded, and no ineligible entry makes it into the rolls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar told News18. Speaking to News18, the CEC said that more than one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their Enumeration Forms so that they don't face any hardship. 'The objective of the SIR is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the electoral roll," he said. The revision, in addition to regular annual updation, came in light of increasing demand of all political parties to cleanse the electoral rolls based on eligibility conditions such as residence, age and Indian citizenship in the recent past. Many ineligible persons have been able to procure the voter cards as neither intensive revision was conducted periodically since 2004 nor eligibility documents were readily available. Therefore, in case of complaints and objections by any elector or political party, it becomes difficult to enquire into such complaints in a rational manner. 9 intensive revisions between 1952 and 2004 The electoral rolls were prepared afresh through various intensive revisions, either across the country or in parts nine times in the 52-year period between 1952 and 2004 – once nearly every six years on average. However, intensive revision has not been done in the last 22 years, News18 has learnt. The conduct of routine summary revision of electoral rolls is generally based on oral submissions and cursory field-level verification rather than any documentary evidence, resulting in increasing number of complaints on the existing state of electoral rolls. The current level of technology enables collection of eligibility documents once and for all. This repository will enable enquiry into any specific complaint against any elector anytime based on available documents rather than depending on just unverifiable oral submissions made to Booth Level Officers (BLO). SIR makes BLOs accountable This process will increase accountability of over 10 lakh BLOs and over 20,000 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to ensure that each name in the electoral roll is of an eligible elector. Such accountability can always be tested by DEO and/or CEO after conducting an inquiry, whether on complaint or suo motu, if necessary, based on documentary evidence already uploaded. Why only Bihar? The drive is being conducted in Bihar as it is the only state that is going for polls this year. A poll body official told News18 that similar drives may also be conducted in other parts of the country once the Bihar election is over. 'Revision of electoral roll mandatory' Earlier in the day, the poll body issued a statement saying that revision of electoral roll is mandatory before every election as per Section 21(2)(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. 'The ECI has been conducting annual revisions, intensive as well as summary, for 75 years now. This exercise is required as the electoral roll is always a dynamic list that keeps changing due to deaths, shifting of people due to various reasons such as migration due to occupation, education, or marriage, addition of new voters who have turned 18," the poll body added. The EC also stated that Article 326 of the Constitution specifies the eligibility to become an elector. 'Only Indian citizens, above 18 years of age and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible to be registered as an elector," they explained. Why SIR? As against the regular annual revisions, the SIR is necessary to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll, enabling them to exercise their right to vote, and to also ensure that no ineligible voter is included in the electoral rolls. Also, the process adds complete transparency in the process of addition or deletion of electors in the electoral rolls through active participation of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by all national and state political parties. On Saturday, News18 reported that the ECI has allowed the recognised national and state political parties to continue to appoint BLAs in addition to the 1.55 lakh already deployed. Earlier in June, the poll body had said that various reasons such as 'rapid urbanization, frequent migration, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants necessitate the conduct of an intensive revision" so as to ensure democratic integrity and preparation of error-free electoral rolls. Migrants a major factor In some constituencies, the number of migrants has become more than the victory margins, which can affect democratic integrity, a poll body official explained to News18. As per the Census 2011, there were 454 million migrants in India up from 315 million in 2001. Even as per the Migration in India Report 2021, the percentage of migrants in the population was estimated at around 29%, which on average is more than the winning margin in many of the constituencies. The SIR is also necessary to check people with multiple voter cards. 'Many persons enroll in different places by giving different unmatched details to procure more than one voter card in different parts of the country, either knowingly or unknowingly. This issue can only be resolved through SIR. It is practically impossible to detect such cases through software tools," the official added. top videos View all Many persons are ordinary residents of one place and have got their voter cards, officially called the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), there, but have somehow been successful in retaining their earlier EPIC before migration, which is a criminal offence. 'The photographs of voters in EPIC are also so old that matching the photographs and eliminating the same voters with different EPICs through use of technology is hardly reliable. Thus, new photographs of electors will help in identifying such cases," they explained. About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @ More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : 2025 Bihar elections Election Commission of India (ECI) electoral roll news18 specials Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 30, 2025, 18:37 IST News india Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: No Eligible Voter Left Out, No Ineligible Included, CEC Tells News18
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
CEC Gyanesh Kumar defends Bihar electoral roll revision amid opposition objections
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has justified the national poll body's move to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, saying that it is aimed at avoiding any 'illegible' voter and ensuring that no one is left out of the voter list. CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that "the objective of SIR is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out",(PTI) The CEC's remark comes as opposition parties, including the likes of Trinamool Congress and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, have heavily condemned the ECI's move ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar. 'The objective of SIR is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the electoral roll. More than one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their Enumeration Forms', Kumar said in his statement, news agency PTI reported. ALSO READ | Bihar: Controversy over Election Commission's revision of electoral rolls In addition, the Election Commission also issued a statement on the matter and said that the SIR is needed since electoral rolls keep changing due to a variety of reasons, including deaths, migration, etc. 'Further, Article 326 of the Constitution specifies the eligibility to become an elector. Only Indian citizens, above 18 years and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible to be registered as an elector,' it said. The poll panel asserted that, according to the Representation of People Act 1950 and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electoral Rules 1960, the electoral roll must be revised before every election. ALSO READ | ECI 'shouldn't turn into party office': TMC on Bihar electoral roll revision Additionally, the EC said that it has also uploaded the 2003 electoral roll of Bihar on its website, a move it said would hugely facilitate the ongoing special intensive revision in the state. Opposition objects to SIR Senior Congress leader Digvijay on Sunday said that all the INDIA bloc parties may approach the judiciary against the ongoing SIR in Bihar if the Election Commission does not take heed of the objections raised by the opposition. Singh accused the BJP-led central government of trying to delete the names of poor and marginalised voters from the electoral rolls in the state. ALSO READ | Opposition may raise revision of electoral rolls in Parliament 'The SIR drive of the EC is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise poor, tribal, young, flood-affected, and migrant voters in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. All constituents of INDIA bloc may knock the door of judiciary against the ongoing SIR of the electoral roll in Bihar if the EC does not accept the opposition's objections about the drive. I met RJD supremo Lalu Prasad ji here on Saturday and requested him to speak to our party president Mallikarjun Kharge over the issue,' Singh said. Earlier, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi wrote to the ECI, highlighting objections to the ongoing SIR in Bihar. He pointed out that the electoral roll for Bihar has already undergone a special summary revision. He raised several objections to the exercise and said, "The SIR will have a deleterious effect on electors across the state due to its proximity to the upcoming assembly elections." Owaisi also accused the EC of secretly implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bihar, warning that the SIR may harm public trust in the poll panel. The Trinamool Congress, including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, have said that the special intensive revision is the EC's "sinister move" to bring NRC through the backdoor. TMC leader Derek O'Brien compared the EC's move to 'ancestor passes' in Nazi Germany. "Why is this exercise being suddenly done right now? We have evidence as to why it is being done now. It is because the latest internal survey of the BJP for Bengal shows 46-49 seats for the party in the state's assembly polls (early next year). In their desperation to attempt to change things you do such things," he claimed. TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose claimed that West Bengal was the "real target" of the exercise. "On June 26, the ECI announced that Special Intensive Revision will be conducted for Bihar Assembly polls, but the real target is Bengal," she said.
India Gazette
13 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
SIR of electoral rolls only to ensure no eligible voter is left out: CEC Gyanesh Kumar
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): Following the Election Commission of India's decision to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the state assembly polls, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has affirmed that the main objective of the initiative isto avoid any 'illegible' voter and ensure that no one is left out of the voter list. In his statement, the Chief Election Commissioner stated that one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their Enumeration Forms. The objective of SIR is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the Electoral Roll. More than one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their Enumeration Forms', Gyanesh Kumar said in his statement. Meanwhile ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI), under the Chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, has started proceedings for the delisting of 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) which have failed to fulfil the essential condition of contesting even a single election for the last six years since 2019 and the offices of these parties could not be physically located anywhere. According to a release from the Election Commission, these 345 RUPPs are from different States and UTs across the country. 'It has come to the notice of the Commission that of the over 2,800 RUPPs currently registered with ECI, many RUPPs have failed to fulfil the essential conditions that are required to continue as an RUPP. Thus, a nationwide exercise was conducted by the ECI to identify such RUPPs, and 345 have already been identified to date,' the EC said The Bihar assembly elections are scheduled to take place at the end of this year. (ANI)
India Gazette
13 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
SIR of electoral rolls only to ensure no eligible voter is left out: CEC Gynaesh Kumar
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): Following the Election Commission of India's decision to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the state assembly polls, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has affirmed that the main objective of the initiative isto avoid any 'illegible' voter and ensure that no one is left out of the voter list. In his statement, the Chief Election Commissioner stated that one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their Enumeration Forms. The objective of SIR is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the Electoral Roll. More than one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their Enumeration Forms', Gyanesh Kumar said in his statement. Meanwhile ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI), under the Chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, has started proceedings for the delisting of 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) which have failed to fulfil the essential condition of contesting even a single election for the last six years since 2019 and the offices of these parties could not be physically located anywhere. According to a release from the Election Commission, these 345 RUPPs are from different States and UTs across the country. 'It has come to the notice of the Commission that of the over 2,800 RUPPs currently registered with ECI, many RUPPs have failed to fulfil the essential conditions that are required to continue as an RUPP. Thus, a nationwide exercise was conducted by the ECI to identify such RUPPs, and 345 have already been identified to date,' the EC said The Bihar assembly elections are scheduled to take place at the end of this year. (ANI)
