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Ashok Lavasa on Bihar poll roll revision controversy and more

Ashok Lavasa on Bihar poll roll revision controversy and more

India Today07-07-2025
In an exclusive interview with India Today's Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa talked about Bihar poll roll revision being carried out by the Election Commission and the controversy over it.
When asked for his take on Bihar poll roll revision controversy, Ashok Lavasa said, "The Election Commission is fully empowered to carry out the purification of electoral rolls. I think the controversy arises because of several issues, one of them being whether this is the appropriate time when a state is facing the elections just four months from now or three months from now, so whether it is the appropriate time. The second is the distinction that has been made between pre-2003 and post-2003, is that the procedure that was followed in the past?
"Or is there something different that ECI is attempting to do? And I think the other thing which is more fundamental is the adherence to the provisions of Article 326, which clearly says that only citizens of India and those who are above 18 years of age who are not otherwise disqualified, they are eligible to vote. So, I think there are some technical issues underlying all these three things. And that probably has created the furore."
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