No ‘suspicious voters' category under law, EC tells Rajya Sabha
In a written response to a query raised by Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman on whether electors classified as 'suspicious' had cast votes in the 2024 general elections, the Union minister of state for law and justice Arjun Ram Meghawal said, 'The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed that there is no category of suspicious voters as per the Representation of People Act, 1951.'
The poll body's clarification comes amid concerns raised over the SIR exercise in Bihar, which started on June 24. ECI had cited the inclusion of 'foreign illegal immigrants' in the electoral rolls as one of the reasons for conducting the revision, alongside other factors like rapid urbanisation and migration.
ECI also pointed out that during the revision process, illegal immigrants from countries such as Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh had been identified.
In a separate response to a question by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha who inquired about the status of Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage and related discrepancies, Meghwal confirmed that the linking process has not yet commenced.
He said, 'The Election Commission vide its instruction dated 4th July, 2022, has launched the programme to collect the Aadhaar number of existing and prospective electors on a voluntary basis from 1st August, 2022, in all States and Union territories. The linking of Aadhaar with Election Photo Identity Card has not yet started.'
Further clarifying the legal position, Meghwal stated that the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021, allows Electoral Registration Officers (ELOs) to request voters to voluntarily provide their Aadhaar numbers for linking with their voter ID cards. He added that the linkage process is still pending.
Due to the delay in the Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage, the poll body mentioned that Jha's other questions regarding the number of voters whose Aadhaar details were mismatched or who were removed from the voter list did not arise.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Kharge writes to RS deputy chair on CISF officers blocking protests by MPs
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday wrote to deputy chairman Harivansh, saying that he was 'shocked' at the manner in which Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were made to enter the Well of the House during a protest, and pointed out that the situation did not warrant such security measures. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that he was 'shocked' at the manner in which Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were made to enter the Well of the House during a protest (PTI) 'We are astonished and shocked at the manner in which CISF personnel are made to run into the Well of the House when the members were exercising their democratic right of protest,' the Congress president said in the letter. He added: We saw this yesterday and we saw this today as well. Has our Parliament been reduced to such a level? This is most objectionable and we condemn it unequivocally.' The letter came hours after some MPs of TMC and DMK tried to enter the Well during a protest against the special intensive revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, but were blocked by security personnel at the entry point. However, as some MPs sneaked into the Well and raised slogans, six CISF personnel entered the Rajya Sabha to form a human chain in front of the Chair, leading to outrage of protesting leaders. According to eyewitnesses, on Thursday too, three personnel formed a group in front of protesting Opposition leaders in Parliament. The CISF took charge of security of the Parliament complex in May last year in the backdrop of a breach on December 13, 2023. Until that day, the security of Parliament was jointly managed by Delhi police, Parliamentary Security Service (PSS) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). 'Marshal are posted right at the gates of the House and come inside only if the speaker asks them to come inside. This season, CISF personnel are on marshal duty too. The new marshals entered the house only after they were called by officials. As is the norm, the officials pressed the bell and called the new marshals inside. The earlier marshals who were part of PSS had worked in the Parliament House for years and were recognised by everyone. The new marshals who entered the house after being summoned weren't recognised and that created the confusion,' an official aware of the matter said.
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
In next SIR phase, EC to verify claims, objections
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday published the draft electoral rolls for Bihar after the conclusion of the first phase of the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR), adding that the next month will be devoted to the verification of the claims and objections process. A painter paints a wall to create awareness among voters ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 at the state election department premises, in Patna, on Friday.(ANI) The publication of the draft rolls marks the end of the enumeration phase of the SIR, which required all existing electors in Bihar to submit forms and documents. The controversial exercise began on June 25 in Bihar, where assembly elections are scheduled to be held later this year. ECI has said it will hold SIR across the country. ECI said from August 1 to September 1 will be the time of claims and objections. 'During this period, to add the name of any eligible elector or to delete the name of any ineligible elector, any elector or any political party, can file claims and objections in a prescribed form before the concerned ERO,' the body said. 'All eligible electors are appealed to check their names in the draft list, and if their name does not exist in the list, they should fill and submit Form 6 along with the declaration form,' the body added. Separately in Patna, the body published district-wise data, comparing it to the electoral roll before SIR. It showed Patna district saw the highest deletion of 395,500 voters, followed by Madhubani district (352,545), East Champaran district (316,793) and Gopalganj district (310,363). ECI said of the 6.5 million names missing from the rolls, deaths accounted for 2.2 million, people who permanently shifted or not found accounted for 3.6 million and people enrolled in multiple places accounted for 700,000. In all, the draft electoral roll shrunk from 78.9 million to 72.3 million, ECI said. Following the conclusion of the first phase of the SIR, the poll body, on July 27, it had received 72.3 million forms out of 78.9 million electors. 'The draft list is available at the ECI portal. Also, booth-wise draft lists of all the 90,712 polling booths of all 243 assembly constituencies have been shared with all the political parties by 38 DEOs of Bihar, today on 1 August,' ECI said. The SIR 2025 is the first such intensive revision in Bihar since 2003. As part of this exercise, all electors, including those already registered, were asked to fill out fresh enumeration forms. The deadline for submission was July 26. ECI clarified that the deletions were not final and will be subject to scrutiny during the claims and objections period. 'The exact status of these electors will be known after scrutiny of these forms by ERO/AERO by August 1, 2025. However, genuine electors can still be added back in electoral rolls during the claims and objections period from August 1 to September 1, 2025. The names of the electors found enrolled at multiple places in the electoral rolls will be retained only at one place,' it had said on July 27. ECI specified that the deletion of any name cannot be done without providing the concerned elector an opportunity to be heard. 'As per SIR orders, no name can be deleted from the draft electoral roll, by the concerned ERO/AERO without giving a hearing to the elector and subsequently passing a written order, which are appealable to the DM and the CEO,' the body said. A letter issued by the district election officers to all recognised political parties on Friday further instructed party representatives to assist in verifying the draft rolls and submitting claims and objections – form 6 for new registrations, form 7 for deletions, and form 8 for corrections or transfers. ECI said that special camps will be held daily from August 2 to September 1 at all block-cum-subdivision offices and urban local body offices (municipal corporation, municipality, nagar panchayat). The second phase of SIR will be conducted from August 1 to September 1. During this period, electors, political parties, and officials may submit and verify claims and objections. Officials will collect pending documents and scrutinise those already submitted. All claims and objections are to be disposed of by September 25. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on September 30.
Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Election Commission rejects Rahul Gandhi's ‘atom bomb' claims
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday termed as 'baseless and irresponsible' Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claim his party had uncovered an 'atom bomb' of evidence proving voters lists were manipulated on a large scale, and said that it ignores such statements. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Congress began investigating after noticing irregularities during the Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Lok Sabha elections. He alleged that over 10 million voters were fraudulently added to the rolls. (Sansad TV) 'We dug deep because the Election Commission wasn't helping,' Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament. 'What we found is an atom bomb. When it explodes, you won't be able to see the Election Commission in India.' The Leader of Opposition said the party began investigating after noticing irregularities during the Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Lok Sabha elections. He alleged that over 10 million voters were fraudulently added to the rolls. 'There was a suspicion in the elections in Madhya Pradesh and the Lok Sabha, and it deepened in the Maharashtra assembly polls. At the state level, we believed there was a vote theft,' Gandhi said. 'It took us six months to study this in detail.' Gandhi issued a warning: 'Whoever is doing this, from top to bottom in the ECI, we won't spare you. You're working against the nation. This is treason.' In response, ECI said, 'The Election Commission ignores such baseless allegations being made on a daily basis and despite the daily threats being given, (it) asks all election officials to ignore such irresponsible statements and work in a fair and transparent manner.' The Congress has repeatedly accused the ECI of acting like a 'biased umpire', particularly in its handling of the 2024 general elections and multiple assembly polls. ECI said it had sent a mail to Gandhi on June 12 after previous allegations, but had not received a response. 'He has never sent any letter to ECI on any issue, whatsoever,' the election watchdog said. The latest accusation comes amid a broader protest by the opposition INDIA bloc over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, which they claim is a BJP-backed attempt to disenfranchise voters. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also blamed the poll body on July 6, saying, 'With the cooperation of the Election Commission, the BJP's master plan to deprive crores in Bihar of their voting rights now seems to be ensnaring them. Forcibly disenfranchising the poor, Dalits, backwards — this is the BJP-RSS conspiracy.' Following a joint strategy meeting, the INDIA bloc parties on Thursday announced they will intensify their protests –– both in and outside Parliament. ECI published the draft electoral rolls for Bihar on Friday. Responding to Gandhi's claim , the BJP asked him to 'flow like water' instead of considering to 'explode like a bomb'. 'Will Rahul Gandhi explode like a bomb? What do you think? Their job is to explode. They have no other work to do,' BJP leader Sambit Patra told reporters at the BJP headquarters. He said the Opposition party speaks of such things because they have no faith in democracy. 'We are those who have faith in democracy. If they explode an atom bomb, we will save the Constitution,' Patra said.
