Latest news with #RegistrationOfficers
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Nearly 95% of Bihar voters covered in electoral roll revision exercise: ECI
According to the ECI, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will publish the draft Electoral Roll on Friday, August 1 and invite suggestions ANI The Election Commission of India has said that 94.68 per cent of the existing electors have submitted their enumeration forms during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. According to the ECI, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will publish the draft Electoral Roll on Friday, August 1, 2025, and invite suggestions and inputs for correcting any entries in the draft Electoral Roll. "In accordance with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) order dated June 24, 2025, a one-month window will be provided to submit requests for rectification or inclusion of any left-out names," the ECI said in a release. "During the verification process, a total of 36,86,971 electors, amounting to 4.67 per cent, were found to be missing from their registered addresses. Within this category, 12,71,414 electors were classified as probably deceased, 18,36,306 as probably permanently shifted, 5,92,273 were found to be enrolled at multiple places, and 6,978 electors could not be traced," it said. As per the ECI, based on the enumeration data and findings from the address verification process, a total of 7,48,59,631 electors have been covered so far, which translates to 94.68 per cent of the overall electoral population. The remaining number of Enumeration Forms yet to be received is 41,10,213, accounting for 5.2 per cent of the total. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday once again raised concern over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out in poll-bound Bihar after former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa criticised the state's electoral roll revision by the Election Commission of India. "The Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll is a deliberate and diabolical move to rig the elections through large-scale disenfranchisement. A PM who masterminded notebandi has orchestrated this votebandi," Ramesh posted on X while sharing a recent interview of Lavasa. Lavasa earlier in an interview to a media outlet criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it "abrupt, aggressive, ambitious, and avoidable". He said that the process is unfair to voters and the machinery undertaking the task, arguing that it's not the Election Commission's job to verify citizenship. This move may lead to large-scale disenfranchisement, particularly affecting vulnerable communities. Lavasa emphasised that demanding citizenship proof from voters is not the Election Commission's responsibility. Instead, it's the government's duty to issue citizenship documents. He said that the SIR process may lead to the exclusion of eligible voters, particularly from marginalized communities, which could impact the democratic argued that the sudden change in procedure is unfair to both voters and the electoral machinery. He suggested that the Election Commission's established process has worked well for 75 years, and there's no need to alter it now.
Indian Express
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bihar electoral roll revision: Forms of 90% electors received, 36 lakh not found at their addresses, says poll panel
The Election Commission has said that it received enumeration forms of 90.12% of Bihar's electors ahead of the July 25 deadline for its special intensive revision (SIR) of the state's electoral roll, and that over 36 lakh were found 'not at their addresses'. The EC had ordered the SIR on June 24 and launched it the next day. The commission said in the order that it has decided to conduct the exercise for the whole country and was starting with Bihar as Assembly elections are due in the state. The EC order said that all 7.8 crore registered electors of Bihar would be required to submit enumeration forms by July 25 to make it to the draft roll to be published on August 1. On Friday, the EC said 7.11 crore forms had been received so far and 6.85 crore of them had been digitised. The EC also said 36.86 lakh electors (a little over 4.67% of total voters) had been found to be 'probably' deceased, permanently shifted or enrolled at multiple places. It said 6,978, or 0.01% of the electors, were 'not traceable'. The commission said the lists of the 'probably' deceased, shifted and untraceable electors were being shared with district presidents of political parties and their booth level agents 'to ascertain the exact status of each such elector before July 25'. The electors and parties would have from August 1 to September 1 to file claims and objections on the draft roll. Electoral Registration Officers would have till September 25 to dispose of these claims and objections before the final electoral roll is published on September 30. 'As per the SIR order, each of the more than 1.5 lakh BLAs (booth level agents) can submit up to 50 forms a day after certifying them. This step is in line with the ECI's commitment that no eligible elector is left out,' the EC said. Several booth level officers (BLOs) told The Indian Express that they have been working to complete the SIR exercise 'two-three days before' the July 25 deadline.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
TDP for third-party audits of electoral rolls under CAG
Vijayawada: TDP proposed several reforms to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to improve the accuracy and transparency of electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh. In a letter submitted to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, TDP Parliamentary Party leader Lavu Krishna Devarayalu urged the ECI to initiate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state early, even though Assembly elections are due only in 2029. The TDP recommended third-party audits of voter rolls under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), annual AI-driven tools to detect duplication, migration, and deceased entries in real time, and a reasoned order with prior notice for any voter deletion. It also sought standardisation of door numbers, Aadhaar-based verification for rectifying duplicate EPIC numbers, and the replacement of ink-based verification with biometric methods. The party called for the active participation of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from all recognised parties, pre-publication of draft rolls, and publishing district-wise voter addition/deletion data on the ECI portal. A real-time public dashboard to track voter grievances and timelines for their resolution was also suggested, along with penalties for misconduct by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs). To avoid partisan influence, the party proposed rotation of BLOs and EROs and the appointment of a state-level Ombudsman under the ECI. It emphasised the need for targeted re-enrollment of migrant workers, tribals, the elderly, and homeless citizens by accepting temporary address declarations with minimal documentation. TDP clarified that the SIR must be focused solely on electoral roll correction and not linked to citizenship verification. It urged procedural clarity stating that the burden of proof lies with the objector, not the voter, and that voters must be given notice, time to respond, and allowed stage-wise verification instead of instant deletion.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
10 days to go, Bihar CEO launches online form for residents outside the state to get onboard SIR
With only 10 days left for the submission and uploading of enumeration forms to be included as voters in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, Bihar Chief Electoral Office (CEO) has launched 'an easy, two-step' online form for the estimated one crore migrants living outside the state, amid concerns that they may be left out of the exercise. Bihar CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal told The Indian Express in an interview earlier that the Election Commission was working on a hassle-free online system to address apprehensions of 'those living temporarily outside Bihar'. On Tuesday, the Bihar CEO's office prominently advertised the process of online submission, through just scanning a QR code. 'If you have a mobile phone in hand, why worry about filling an enumeration form?' says the EC advertisement. It goes on to explain: 'After clicking the 'enumeration form online' on ECI site, one can log in using one's EPIC (voter ID) number or mobile phone, and the enumeration form will show. One can now fill in details such as one's name and date of birth.' For signature, the advertisement says, the applicant can sign on a white sheet of paper or put a thumb impression, and upload it with the form. The EC said a confirmation SMS would be received on the applicant's phone. About uploading a photo and documents, the CEO makes it clear that if one is unable to submit the same, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) would take a final call, on the basis of documents which can be submitted between August 1 and August 30, or use other records such as names in government schemes or land documents. All parties welcomed the EC initiative, with the RJD and Congress calling it 'belated'. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said: 'The EC has been responding late to all our grievances. Retaining migrants in electoral rolls has always been a matter of big concern. Anyways, it is a welcome move.' Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari said: 'We have been talking about it for a long while. Though it is a belated move, it is better late than never.' Welcoming the EC move, JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said the EC has been trying its best to complete the task. LJP (Ram Vilas) Bihar in-charge and Jamui MP Arun Kumar Bharti said: 'Our only objective is to ensure that the poor, Dalits and those temporarily living out of Bihar are not dropped from the electoral rolls.'
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Define Special Intensive Revision scope… make it clear not linked to citizenship': TDP writes to CEC
As questions are raised over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, the Telugu Desam Party, the ruling NDA's second-largest constituent, has sought clarity on 'the scope of the exercise' and said it should be made clear that it is 'not related to citizenship verification'. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday, written by TDP parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and signed by five other party leaders, the party has said: 'The scope of the SIR must be clearly defined and must be limited to electoral roll recorrection and inclusion. It should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification, and any field instructions must reflect this distinction.' The letter was submitted to the EC after TDP leaders met it as part of an ongoing exercise by the poll panel to take suggestions from political parties to strengthen electoral processes. CEC Gyanesh Kumar and ECs Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi had an interaction with a delegation from the Telugu Desam Party led by its State President Shri Palla Srinivasa Rao and received their suggestions at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi today. — Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) July 15, 2025 Asked about the letter, TDP national spokesperson and one of the signatories, Jyothsna Tirunagari, said there was no link between the ongoing SIR in Bihar and the party's suggestions. 'We just met the EC and, as we were asked for suggestions, made our stand clear on the electoral process. We are a democratic party and would want transparency in the electoral process,' she told The Indian Express. Days after the Supreme Court questioned the EC over the timing of the SIR in Bihar, the TDP letter says that any such electoral roll revision should 'not ideally be within six months of any major election'. 'To ensure voter confidence and administrative preparedness, the SIR process should be conducted with a sufficient time lead,' the letter says. The N Chandrababu Naidu-led party has also said that voters included in the electoral rolls must not be required to re-establish their eligibility 'unless specific and verifiable reasons are recorded', and called for a third-party audit under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to identify anomalies. Some of the other suggestions include district-wise data on voter addition and deletions with explanations on the EC portal, permission to Aadhaar-based cross-verification, penalties for inaction by EROS (Electoral Registration Officers) and DEOs (District Election Officers), a state-level ombudsman under the EC to handle unresolved grievances, and targeted re-enrolment campaigns for migrant workers, tribal groups and senior citizens. 'Temporary address declarations must be permitted with basic documentation to prevent disenfranchisement of the mobile population… where voters are unable to submit documents at the time of visit, age-wise verification must be permitted,' the letter read. Signatories also included party MPs Byreddy Shabari and D Prasada Rao, and TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao.
