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New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delhi to follow Bihar's contentious electoral roll revision; March 2008 set as cut-off date
NEW DELHI: The political climate in the national capital is set to heat up with the Election Commission of India (ECI) notifying the cut-off date for a special intensive revision (SIR) of Delhi's electoral rolls--an exercise currently stirring controversy in Bihar. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi, has notified the cut-off date for the revision as March 16, 2008--the same date when the last SIR was carried out. This means that all voter names added to the rolls after this date will now be subject to verification. Individuals falling in this category will be required to furnish proof of citizenship to retain their names on the electoral list. Although the formal schedule for the verification process has not been announced, officials have indicated that the process is likely to begin in August. 'Training of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have begun from July 3rd. The door-to-door campaign for verification and other processes is expected to start in schedule regarding this will be out soon,' a senior poll official told this newspaper.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Union Minister Chirag Paswan defends voter list revision, calls it
Patna (Bihar) [India], July 5 (ANI): Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar, urging political stakeholders not to view the exercise through a partisan lens. He described the process as a routine yet crucial measure to ensure the accuracy and integrity of voter data. 'Don't make this just a political issue. This is a process of sanitisation which has been followed from time to time. It is important to follow it,' Paswan said, emphasising that the exercise is aimed at maintaining a clean and credible electoral system. Paswan noted that the names of deceased individuals and non-local residents often appear in voter rolls. 'It has been seen many a time that slips are being issued even for those people who died decades ago. It is also seen that sometimes the names of non-locals are also on the voter list,' he stated. He added that his party remains available to assist citizens facing genuine difficulties during the revision drive 'So, an effort has been made to simplify the process. Still, if someone comes to us with an issue, we try to help them after speaking to the Administration. We are so concerned about intruders. So, we will have to adopt this process gradually,' he added. Meanwhile, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being undertaken in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections is progressing smoothly on the ground, with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) completing their first round of visits to nearly 1.5 crore households across the state. According to official data, more than 87 per cent of Enumeration Forms have already been distributed during the door-to-door verification drive, which is being carried out as part of the Election Commission's ongoing efforts to update and verify the electoral rolls. According to the Election Commission, the first visit of the Booth Level Officers (BLOS) to nearly 1.5 crore households in the state was completed today and over 87 per cent Enumeration Forms (i.e. 6,86,17,932) out of the total of 7,89,69,844 (nearly 7.90 crore) electors in Bihar who are enrolled as on June 24, 2025, have been distributed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted in the state. The remaining houses could be locked, or belong to deceased electors, migrants, or those who may be travelling. Since the BLO shall be visiting the houses of the electors three times during the exercise, these figures are likely to increase further. The partially filled forms are also available for download on the ECI portal, as well as on the ECINET App. Electors can upload the filled forms themselves on the ECINET App. Besides, 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAS) appointed by various political parties are also providing active support in the SIR process. As on July 2, BJP has appointed 52,689 BLAS, followed by 47,504 of RJD, 34,669 of JD(U), 16,500 of INC, 1913 of Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party, 1271 of CPI(ML)L, 1153 of Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas), 578 of CPI(M), 270 of Rashtriya Lok Samta Party besides others such as BSP (74), NPP (3) and AAP (1). Each BLA can submit up to 50 certified forms per day. Nearly five per cent filled-up and signed forms, i.e. nearly 38 lakh forms have already been received by the BLOS, who are working sincerely with the sole motto - Inclusion First, which has been repeatedly emphasised upon by the Commission. As per SIR, to have one's name included in the Draft Electoral Roll to be published on August 1, 2025, the strict condition for an elector is to sign and submit the pre-printed form. Enumeration Form before 25th July 2025. Simultaneous verification of the uploaded forms has also been started. Despite apprehensions from some quarters, SIR will ensure that all eligible persons are included. Based on the documents attached or not attached, along with the signed Enumeration Form, eligibility verification of each name included in the draft rolls will be conducted continuously upon receipt. Verification will commence vigorously from August 2, 2025, onwards, following the publication of the draft electoral rolls. Based on the published Draft of Electoral Rolls, Claims and Objections will be received from any political parties or any member of the public from 2nd August 2025 onwards. The final electoral rolls will be published on September 30, 2025. Appeals can also be filed thereafter with the DM and the CEO. (ANI)
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Why Bihar's voter list update has sparked fears of disenfranchisement
An update of Bihar's voter rolls, launched just months before the state's Assembly elections, has triggered a fierce political debate. The Election Commission's (EC) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls has raised alarms about possible mass deletion of legitimate voters, especially among the poor and marginalised, and has drawn sharp opposition from major political parties. What is the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR)? The EC began the special revision on June 24, involving door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The aim is to add new eligible voters and remove ineligible names. This is the first such comprehensive revision since 2003. The process will proceed in four stages: Why did the EC announce this revision just before elections? The EC cites several reasons: -Migration and urbanisation have outdated voter records -Deaths of voters remain unrecorded -Concerns over illegal immigrants on rolls -Constitutional obligation to ensure only Indian citizens vote The commission insists this update is critical for electoral integrity. Why are political parties protesting the revision process? Opposition parties including the RJD, CPI-ML, and Congress have voiced strong opposition. At a June 27 press conference, leaders including Tejashwi Yadav, Pawan Khera, and Dipankar Bhattacharya labelled the timing 'impractical' and expressed suspicion over the motive. They warned that conducting the exercise amid monsoons and floods could lead to exclusion of marginalised communities. Tejashwi Yadav told NDTV, 'Now elections are to be held in November… the EC has to make a new list… of 8 crore people… in just 25 days. And that too when 73 per cent of the state is affected by floods.' What are the fears around disenfranchisement and document proof? Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the process risks excluding up to 20 million voters, especially from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, migrant groups, and poor households — many of whom may lack proper documentation. Singhvi noted that affected voters may not have recourse, as courts avoid intervening during an active election process. What documents are being demanded to prove voter eligibility? Voters on the 2003 electoral roll only need to provide that entry. Others must provide proof from a list of 11 documents, depending on date of birth: -Born before July 1, 1987: Own date/place of birth -Between July 1, 1987 – December 2, 2004: Own and one parent's date/place -After December 2, 2004: Own and both parents' date/place Accepted documents include government IDs, bank/LIC records, board mark sheets, birth certificates, domicile certificates, land or housing documents, and NRC-related papers. What has the Election Commission said in its defence? -It is fulfilling its constitutional duty, not targeting anyone -There is no intent to disenfranchise genuine voters -BLOs are instructed to assist vulnerable groups including the elderly and poor -Political parties are invited to monitor and report anomalies Could this process echo the Assam NRC fallout? Experts warn of a repeat of the 2019 NRC exercise in Assam, where lack of documentation led to the exclusion of many poor and marginalised citizens. In Bihar, with high migration and illiteracy, the fear is that thousands may be dropped from rolls — intentionally or by error. Even small-scale deletions could tilt results in closely contested seats, say analysts quoted by The New Indian Express. What are the next steps in the voter roll update? The revision timeline is as follows: -Until July 26: Door-to-door verification by BLOs -Until September 1: Claims and objections may be submitted -September 30: Final publication of electoral rolls Opposition parties have signalled possible legal challenges if concerns are not resolved. With elections looming, the outcome of this revision may shape the credibility of Bihar's democratic process.
Hans India
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Officials told to ensure safety and security at EVM strong room
Rangareddy: As Telangana is bracing for gram panchayat elections anytime this year, the officials from Election Commission are on their toes to ensure safety of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) stored at designated places, especially in Rangareddy district. The State Deputy Chief Electoral Officer B Hari Singh along with other senior district level officials have visited EVM strong room located at MRO office Rajendranagar on Tuesday and took stock of the arrangements. Accompanied by Additional District Collector Pratima Singh, the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Hari Singh interacted with the officials deployed at the storeroom and inquired about the electronic voting machines available at the facility and the measures being taken to ensure the safety of the ballot machines. The Deputy Chief Electoral Officer advised the officials at the helm of affairs to take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of the EVMs stored at the facility. Following inspection, the election official sealed the storeroom in the presence of the representatives from different political parties. RDO Rajendranagar Venkatreddy, storeroom in-charge B Ramulu and other officials were present at the occasion. The visit of Deputy Chief Electoral Officer comes a day after the State Chief Electoral Officer C Sudarshan Reddy held a review meeting with the collectors through video conference. During the meeting, Sudarshan Reddy suggested the officials to issue identification cards to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and complete the process before June 25. The CEO also instructed the officials to establish new polling stations where the number of voters has crossed the mark of 1,200 in the constituencies. 'Earlier, the number of 1,500 voters was taken into account for the setting up of a new polling station. Now, steps are being taken to establish new polling stations even for below 1,200 voters. For this, a list of newly identified polling stations should be sent to the Collectors by June 25,' said the CEO. Besides, he said, new booth level officers should be appointed wherever it is found necessary. They should be locals and if nobody is found, the Anganwadi workers should be roped-in, he added.
India.com
16-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi reviews Bihar poll preparations in Patna
As Bihar gears up for the Assembly elections later this year, Election Commissioner Dr Vivek Joshi is on a four-day official visit to the state, which began on May 15, to review poll preparations. A high-level review meeting was held in Patna under Dr Joshi's chairmanship on Friday. The meeting was attended by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, State Police Nodal Officer Kundan Krishnan, Inspector General of Police (Patna), the District Magistrate and SSP of Patna, Additional Secretary of the Election Department, and other senior officials. The focus of the meeting was to review election preparedness, ensuring peaceful and fair polling, and strengthening coordination among different arms of the election machinery. Dr Joshi, who was received in Patna by CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, is overseeing key aspects of the election process, including security arrangements, voter facilitation at polling stations, First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and training programmes for polling officials. Field visits at the district level are also part of his itinerary. As part of his tour, Dr Joshi will travel to Motihari (East Champaran) and Bettiah (West Champaran) to inspect EVM FLC processes and interact with District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Booth Level Officers (BLOs). He will also assess the readiness of polling stations and voter service centres. The Election Commission, in collaboration with the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management -- its premier training wing -- is conducting division-wise training programmes across Bihar. These sessions aim to enhance the efficiency of polling staff and ensure that booth-level agents of political parties are well-informed about electoral procedures. Currently, the FLC of EVMs is underway in 13 districts of Bihar. The Election Commission aims to complete the exercise with full transparency and technical precision. Dr Joshi's visit underlines the Election Commission of India's commitment to ensuring that the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections are free, fair, inclusive, technologically robust, and devoid of any malpractice or violence.
