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The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Electoral Registration Officers hold the key to inclusion in Bihar voter roll in the absence of requisite documents for SIR
As controversy rages over the few documents considered valid for voter registration during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, a key figure that has emerged is that of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). The discretionary powers being given to these officials of the State government could taint the SIR process, warn Opposition leaders. For a voter who does not have the required documents, it is the ERO who is empowered to take a call on their inclusion or exclusion in the voters list, according to the latest Election Commission manual on electoral rolls, issued in March 2023, as well as senior officials who spoke to The Hindu. The ERO's verdict is to be based on field verification, reports from Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and the testimonials of village heads and families. 'In case of non-availability of documents, an oath or affirmation from one of the parents, or 'Sarpanch' and even a visible examination by the Booth Level Officer (BLO) can work as proof of age. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) can do local enquiries to establish proof of residence in the absence of documentary evidence,' the manual says. Thus, in a situation where a voter does not have any of the 11 documents listed for the SIR process, the ERO can take a call based on such inputs. Administrative officers EROs are appointed under Section 13B of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. It is usually civil service or revenue officers, such as Sub-Divisional Officers or others of equivalent status who are appointed as EROs for Assembly constituencies which fall within their respective jurisdictions as far as practicable. In Bihar, the EROs are Bihar Administrative Service officers and hold a rank of Senior Deputy Collector and above. Several Bihar EROs told The Hindu that for now, they are just collecting and uploading enumeration forms with attached documents; it is only after the draft roll is uploaded on August 1 that they plan to tackle cases where no documentation is available. Most of the documents being attached to forms now being submitted are school leaving certificates, they said. Alternative documents The EROs accepted that they will face challenges in the cases of voters who do not have any of the 11 documents listed by the Election Commission in its SIR order. Nitesh Kumar, the ERO of the Chapra Assembly seat said that the BLOs have directed many people to apply for domicile or permanent residency certificates, which are issued by tehsildars or local revenue officials, to submit as proof of residence along with their enumeration forms in case no other document is available. However, he agreed that domicile certificates do not provide proof of the applicant's age or place of birth, as required by the SIR. In such cases, 'we depend on the Panchayat heads and the BLOs who have to certify the age and place of birth of the person,' Mr. Kumar said. Discretionary powers Anish Kumar, ERO of the Phulparas constituency, said that a certificate given by parents or the village mukhiya (headman) would be accepted, if other proofs of place of residence and date of birth are not available. In case these were also not available, an ERO can do a physical verification and decide whether the person is of voting age, that is, above 18 years, he said. One ERO who did not wish to be named said that though physical verification cannot be used to determine an applicant's exact age, one could find out whether the person was 'mature enough'. State influence Opposition parties — who have approached the Supreme Court and held a Bihar bandh on Wednesday in protest against the SIR — warned that an ERO, who is a State government functionary, could be influenced by the ruling party in the State. 'You are actually allowing due process of law to be decided by the inclination of an ERO. It is also possible that the ERO, who is a State government official is influenced by the ruling party. Also, if the ERO is empowered to include a person if he or she is satisfied, then he can also exclude a person if dissatisfied,' RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj K. Jha told The Hindu. According to an ECI statement on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), a total of 4,53,89,881 enumeration Forms have been collected in the last 15 days, accounting for 57.48% of the 7.9 crore existing electors in Bihar.
India Today
06-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Poll body eases voter list rules in Bihar, documents can be submitted later
The central poll body published a full-page advertisement in newspapers across the state, aiming to demystify the steps for eligible voters to apply for inclusion - whether via traditional paper forms or online the Election Commission, in a major relief to several voters in Bihar, clarified that even if the necessary documents and photos are not available, the enumeration form can be filled out and submitted to the Booth Level Officer (BLO).advertisement"If the voter has the necessary documents, it will help the Electoral Registration Officer process the application easily. If the voter does not have the required documents, the Electoral Registration Officer can decide based on local enquiry or other supporting evidence," read the Election Commission's advertisement. Additionally, the Election Commission has clarified that voters who were already included in the voter list as of January 1, 2003, are not required to submit documents along with the action comes against the backdrop of the central body's special intensive revision of the electoral rolls, which requires nearly 2.93 crore voters born after 1987 in Bihar to provide documents verifying not only their own date and place of birth, but also those of their parents. The decision has drawn flak from several opposition central poll body had made submitting one of the 11 listed documents mandatory for those whose names were not listed in the 2003 electoral the 11 documents are birth certificates, caste certificates, forest rights certificates, and pension payment orders for government employees. However, the Aadhaar card is not included in the list of 11 per the central poll body's advertisement, the last date for submitting the enumeration form is July 26, before the final voter list is published on September 30.- Ends
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Electoral roll revision: EC eases rules for Bihar voters; 'required documents can be submitted later'
NEW DELHI: Days after the opposition dubbed EC's special intensive revision of electoral rolls as "votebandi," the poll body on Sunday eased the rules of the ongoing exercise for Bihar voters. In an advertisement carried in Hindi newspapers, Bihar chief electoral officer has now asked voters to submit forms without the required documents, which can be submitted later. "As soon as you receive the enumeration form from the BLO, fill it immediately and submit it to the BLO along with the required documents and photograph," the advertisement said. "If you do not have the necessary documents, then submit only the filled enumeration form to the BLO," it added. "If you provide the required documents, it will help the Electoral Registration Officer to process your application more easily. If you are unable to submit the required documents, the Electoral Registration Officer may take a decision based on a local inquiry or verification of other supporting documents," the advertisement further read. This comes after the opposition objected to the ongoing intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar just months ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. A delegation of 11 parties met the EC and claimed that this will put democracy in Bihar "under threat". Calling the exercise 'votebandi,' CPM's Dipankar Bhattacharya claimed that the Commission admitted that 20% of Bihar's voters reside outside the state, which effectively means they could lose their right to vote. "This is nothing less than 'votebandi' for Bihar," he said, comparing the exercise to the demonetisation, or 'notebandi', carried out in 2016. "There seems to be a failure on our part to convince the Election Commission that one month is not enough for lakhs of voters to submit identification documents. Democracy in Bihar is under threat. A major people's movement is now necessary," he added. On Saturday, former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi asked the people to "refuse" to show any documents to the officials. According to the poll body, it is part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The poll panel reminded the constitutional provision that says only Indian citizens can vote. "The Constitution of India is supreme. All citizens, political parties, and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution," EC said in a statement. The poll panel already has nearly 78,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) and is appointing over 20,000 more for new polling stations, it said. More than one lakh volunteers will be assisting genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, persons with disabilities, poor, and other vulnerable groups during the special intensive revision. Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of the Electoral Roll on January 1, 2003, have to "simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it." The enumeration form should be filled between 25 June and 26 July, after which the draft voter list will be published on 1 August 2025; the period for filing claims and objections will be from 1 August to 1 September, and the final voter list will be published on 30 September.
NDTV
05-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Amid Uproar, Poll Body's Big Decision On Documents For Bihar Roll Revision
In a major decision following scathing criticism by opposition parties, the Election Commission has said voters can get verified in the electoral rolls as part of the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar even without submitting the mandatory documents. If the documents are not given, the Electoral Registrar Officer will carry out verification based on investigation at the local level. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which is being carried out months ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, has been criticised by the opposition, which has said crores of voters risk being left out and even termed the exercise a "conspiracy" to ensure the BJP wins. One of the key sticking points for the opposition is the fact that the Election Commission (EC) made submitting at least one of 11 documents a must for verification. The documents being accepted include birth certificates, passports, identity cards or pension payment orders issued to government employees or pensioners, permanent residence certificates, forest right certificates, caste certificates, family register prepared by state and local authorities, and land or house allotment certificates issued by the government. Aadhaar is not part of the list. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav had told NDTV earlier this week that, according to the Government of India, only two to three per cent of people have these documents. "This is clearly a conspiracy to remove crores of people from the voter list... The Constitution has given everyone the right to vote," he had said. His views have been echoed by other opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, and the Left parties. Verification Process In a poster on the enumeration forms, the Election Commission has now said that the Electoral Registration Officer can take a decision on verification for the rolls even without the documents being submitted. "If the necessary documents and photo are not available, then just fill the enumeration form and provide it to the Booth Level Officer," the poster says. It adds, crucially, that, "If you are unable to provide the necessary documents, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) can take a decision on the basis of local investigation or evidence of other documents." Sources in the Election Commission said the EROs will go to the spot and meet the voters who have not submitted documents. They will ensure that the person filling the form is 18 years old, get information about their residence period, talk to people living in the area and decide on the basis of available evidence and other documents. According to data from the Election Department, 1.21 crore voters in Bihar have filled and submitted enumeration forms so far. Of these, 23.9 lakh have been uploaded. The forms are supposed to be submitted by July 25. The Election Commission had earlier made it clear that 4.96 crore voters - accounting for 60 per cent of total electors - who were listed in the 2003 special intensive revision need not submit any supporting document. The poll body has also maintained that the exercise is being conducted in a transparent manner and "every eligible citizen will be a part" of the voters' list.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Owaisi writes to EC against special voter roll revision in poll-bound Bihar
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has written to the Election Commission raising objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar. In the letter, Owaisi pointed out that the electoral roll for Bihar has already undergone a Special Summary Revision, which addresses issues such as rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants in electoral rolls, reasons now being cited to justify the SIR. However, the Special Summary Revision which has been undertaken by the Commission on previous occasions for all the other states as well as 2024 Lok Sabha elections covers all these issues, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo Recalling the last Intensive Revision conducted for Bihar in 2003, Owaisi said it took place well ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha polls and the 2005 Assembly polls, which gave reasonable time for electors to seek legal remedies for addition or deletion. "With this instance, we would like to place our first and foremost objection to the Commission's order directing SIR in Bihar - The SIR will have a deleterious effect on electors' across the state due to its proximity to the upcoming assembly elections," he said in the letter dated June 28. Live Events Among other concerns, Owaisi said the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) /Additional Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) has the power to doubt the eligibility of the proposed Electors not only for non-submission of requisite documents but for any reason otherwise as well. In fact, the ERO/AERO can even refer cases of suspected foreign nationals to the competent authority under Citizenship Act, 1955. This wide and unsupervised power of ERO/AERO can be misused to not only cause wide scale disenfranchisement but can even lead to loss of livelihood for the affected electors. The Hyderabad MP requested the EC to explain the rationale behind the SIR and urged it to grant an in-person hearing to AIMIM and opposition representatives so that their concerns could be presented before the Commission's consideration. Owaisi earlier accused the EC of implementing NRC in Bihar "through the backdoor". "To be enrolled in the voter roll, every citizen will now have to show documents not only proving when and where they were born, but also when and where their parents were born," he had said in a post on X. Even the best estimates state that only three-fourths of births are registered and most government documents are riddled with errors, he said. Noting that people in the flood-prone Seemanchal region of Bihar are among the poorest, he called it a "cruel joke" to expect them to possess their parents' documents. "The result of this exercise will be that a large number of Bihar's poor will be removed from the electoral roll," he claimed.
