Ex-CEC OP Rawat flags time constraints in Bihar voter list revision - ‘no need for this kind of exercise in this manner'
"The only constraint with Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is time. They (Election Commission) will not have adequate time for appeal and disposal because the Bihar elections have to be completed before 22 November," Rawat said speaking during a webinar – 'Special Intensive Revision of the Electoral Rolls: Enhancing the purity of electoral rolls or disenfranchising the electorate?' – organised by election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR).
'The exercise will be completed before September end, so there is panic. That is the real cause of concern,' Rawat said.
The Election Commission's SIR of electoral rolls has triggered a political storm, with the opposition Congress dubbing it 'a rigging attempt' orchestrated by the poll panel under instructions from the ruling regime.
Since the start of this year's monsoon session, the opposition has been protesting in the Parliament, demanding a discussion over the Bihar SIR.
At least half a dozen petitions by political parties, individuals and civil society groups, including the ADR, have been filed in the Supreme Court against what they call a 'blatantly unconstitutional' exercise.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court asked the Election Commission to file its response by 9 August on a fresh application of an NGO seeking disclosure of data of 65 lakh voters who were not included in the Bihar draft electoral roll after the SIR drive.
Earlier in the day on 7 August, the Election Commission said that not even a single claim or objection has been submitted by any political party regarding the draft electoral rolls in Bihar.
The Election Commission has asserted that no eligible elector will be left out and no ineligible elector will be included in the final electoral roll of Bihar. It has appealed to submit claims and objections to rectify any errors in the draft electoral Roll of Bihar, which was published on August 1.
'Secondly, the issue of empowerment of the Election Commission. It is mandated and so they are empowered. However, for investigating citizenship, there has been the 1995 Supreme Court ruling when they rasied a finger on this and said citizenship is a subject of the Home Ministry and it is empowered to investigate and decide citizenship,' Rawat said.
The poll panel has, during the SC hearing, defended its authority to seek proof of citizenship during the revision of voter list.
Rawat, who was CEC from 23 January 2018 to 1 December 2018, also asked if the way the SIR is being conducted is the right way.
"I do not think so because if illegal or dead voters are there, EC has been undertaking this exercise. They have the paraphernalia in their armour such as ERONET, any name which is duplicate anywhere in the country, it will appear on screen and you can easily identify such duplicate entries.
There was no need for this kind of exercise in this manner to remove permanently shifted voters, dead voters etc, he said.
The Election Commission has maintained that no name can be deleted from the draft list published on 1 August, without passing a speaking order by the ERO/AERO after conducting an enquiry and after giving a fair and reasonable opportunity.
The only constraint with Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is time.
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