Bihar Voter List Row: Nepalese, Bangladeshis found during Election Commission's drive, say officials
The officials said that the names of illegal migrants will not be included in the final electoral roll to be published on September 30 unless proper enquiry of such people is conducted after August 1.
Citing ground reports, news agencies PTI and ANI quoted ECI sources as saying that during house-to-house visits, booth-level officers (blo) found "a large number" of people from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
The officials said that if a proper enquiry is conducted from 1 Aug to 30 Aug, and the information is found to be true, such names will not be included in the final list to be published on 30 September 2025.
The reports come amid opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, raising questions on the poll panel's ongoing special intensive revision (of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. TheCongresshas dubbed it 'a rigging attempt' orchestrated by the Election Commission under instructions from the ruling regime.
The Supreme Court on July 10 allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with its revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The top court, however, asked the poll panel to consider using the Aadhaar card, the Election card, and the ration card as valid documents for voter identification.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) said that as of Saturday evening, 80.11 per cent of electors in Bihar had submitted their forms. The commission is moving ahead to complete the collection of Enumeration Forms (EFs) before the stipulated time, July 25
The Election Commission will eventually carry out a special intensive revision of electoral rolls across India to weed out foreign illegal migrants by checking their place of birth.
Bihar will go to the polls this year, while assembly polls in five other states—Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal—are scheduled for 2026.
The move assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal foreign migrants, including from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Key Takeaways The Election Commission's house-to-house visits revealed illegal migrants in Bihar's voter list.
Names of undocumented individuals will be excluded from the final electoral roll after a thorough inquiry.
The move to revise the electoral rolls is part of a broader crackdown on illegal migration in India.
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