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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar voter list row: Why EC's special revision is facing political heat
NEW DELHI: The announcement of special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar by the Election Commission has stirred a fresh political bickering match in the state which is scheduled to go into a high-stakes assembly election at the end of the year. The poll body has taken up the mantle of weeding out foreign illegal migrants from the voting list of six states — starting from Bihar. However, the opposition has caste apprehension over the timing of the review and said that the last revision conducted for Bihar in 2003 took place well ahead elections, giving reasonable time for electors to seek legal remedies for addition or deletion. Why is EC reviewing electoral rolls? According to the poll body, it is part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The poll panel reminded the constitutional provision that says only Indian citizens can vote. "The Constitution of India is supreme. All citizens, political parties, and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution," EC said in a statement. The EC said the special revision has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with "full participation" of all political parties. The poll panel already has nearly 78,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) and is appointing over 20,000 more for new polling stations, it said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo More than one lakh volunteers will be assisting genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, persons with disabilities, poor, and other vulnerable groups during the special intensive revision. Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of the Electoral Roll on January 1, 2003, have to "simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it". Why is the opposition not happy with this review? According to Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Kumar Jha, the special intensive revision will drop the names of 37 percent of people from the votes' list in Bihar, who "only" visit their houses during festivals. "37% of people have to present their birth certificates under this. Most of these people are those who have migrated. They visit their houses only during festivals. It includes the poor, Dalits, backwards, and Muslims. You want to reject them through this procedure because the ruling party is afraid of its survey... The ECI is losing its credibility day by day," Jha said. Earlier, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien criticised the EC for conducting an SIR, claiming that the poll panel is trying to "bring the NRC in from the back door," referring to the controversial National Register of Citizens against which there were multiple protests a few years ago. The TMC MP said, "The EC (Election Commission) is trying to bring the NRC in from the back door. In 1935 under the Nazis, you were supposed to be given an ancestor pass. Some proof of paper to show that you are an Indian citizen — is this the new version of that Nazi Ancestor Pass?... All the INDIA bloc parties will take this up in and outside Parliament." AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi also shot a letter to the poll panel claiming that the electoral roll for Bihar has already undergone a Special Summary Revision, which addresses issues such as rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, non-reporting of deaths, and inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants in electoral rolls — reasons now being cited to justify the SIR. Recalling the last Intensive Revision conducted for Bihar in 2003, Owaisi said it took place well ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha polls and the 2005 Assembly polls, which gave reasonable time for electors to seek legal remedies for addition or deletion. "To be enrolled in the voter roll, every citizen will now have to show documents not only proving when and where they were born, but also when and where their parents were born," he had said in a post on X. What do experts say? According to constitutional expert Faizan Mustafa, the poll panel has the authority to carry out this exercise and its purpose is absolutely correct. "The Election Commission has the authority to carry out this exercise. Its purpose is absolutely correct — that every person who has the right to vote should have their name on the list, and every person who does not have the right to vote should have their name removed," Mustafa told news agency PTI. "One good point mentioned in this order is that since the base document will be the electoral roll of 2003, with the qualifying date being January 1, 2003, anyone whose name appears in that electoral roll will be considered a citizen of India," he added. Political analyst Vivek Singh Bagri said that people from Nepal are coming into Bihar and getting themselves registered as voters. "Bihar is a border state. Nepal is adjacent to Bihar. So many people are coming here to earn their livelihood, and they are not going back. It is very easy to get yourself registered as a voter, so checking each and every voter must be done," Bagri told PTI. "This is being done in good faith and also it is very tough to cover all the voters in such a short period of time and it must be done," he added. The assembly election is scheduled for the end of the year, where a high-stakes battle is expected. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — consisting of the Janata Dal (United) led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party — will face off against the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Congress, RJD, and Left parties.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
EC snubs Tejashwi Yadav, says special intensive revision of voters' list on right track
PATNA: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday said all activities related to special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list were progressing as per schedule. The EC's contention came a day after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav asked whether it was possible to develop the voters' list for 8 crore people within 25 days. An EC statement said SIR has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with full participation of all political parties. 'Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of electoral roll on January 1, 2003, have to simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it,' the EC said. All divisional commissioners and district magistrates are engaging all the BLOs full time during the SIR. SMSs are also being sent to the 5,74,07,022 registered mobile numbers of Bihar. 'All recognised national and state political parties who are registered with EC have also appointed 1,54,977 booth level agents (BLAs),' it said. Printing and door-to-door distribution of new enumeration forms (EF) for all existing 7,89,69,844 electors have started in each of the 243 assembly constituencies. Online filling of the new EFs has been enabled, the EC said. Meanwhile, NDA slammed Tejashwi for his objection to the special intensive review of the voters' list before Bihar assembly elections and his allegation that it was intended at erasing the names of poor and marginalised voters from the electoral rolls. Union minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi said bogus voters numbered between 25,000 and 30,000 in various constituencies. 'So, why should not names of such bogus voters be erased from the electoral roll? Why the opposition should be scared if they have not done anything wrong?' he asked. Bihar assembly elections are due in October-November.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
2.93 crore Bihar electors will have to establish citizenship to vote this year
The Election Commission (EC), which began its 'special intensive revision' of Bihar's electoral rolls this week, said on Saturday that out of the total 7.89 crore electors in the state, 4.96 crore, who were on the rolls as on January 1, 2003, only have to fill and submit the new enumeration form. This means that the remaining 2.93 crore or about 37 per cent of the electors will have to submit documents establishing citizenship, in addition to the form, to remain on the rolls, as per the EC order issued on June 24. 'Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of Electoral Roll on 01.01.2003, have to simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it,' the EC said in a statement on Saturday. Unlike the usual revision of the electoral roll through additions and deletions, this time, the EC is preparing the document afresh. All existing electors will have to submit the forms by July 25 in order to be included in the draft roll. For those who were not on the rolls in 2003 — the last time that an intensive revision was done in Bihar — and for new applicants, the EC has asked for proof of date and/or place of birth proof of self if they are born before July 1, 1987; proof of date and/or place of birth of self and one parent if born between July 1, 1987 to December 2, 2004; and proof of date and/or place of birth of self and both parents if born after December 2, 2004. Commenting on the start of the process, with booth-level officers (BLOs) going house-to-house to distribute forms to electors, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said: 'History begins. Proud moment for all Indians. Election Commission was, is and will always be with the voters.' The EC statement said that 77,895 BLOs were already in place, and 20,603 more were being appointed for new polling stations. 'More than 1 lakh volunteers will be assisting genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, Persons with Disabilities (PwD), poor and other vulnerable groups during the SIR. All recognised national and state political parties who are registered with ECI have also already appointed 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAs). They can still appoint more BLAs. Printing as well as door-to-door distribution of new Enumeration Forms for all the existing 7,89,69,844 electors of Bihar has already started in each of the 243 Assembly Constituencies of Bihar,' the EC said. After the EC announced the revision on June 24, Opposition parties, including the RJD, Congress, CPI (M), CPI (ML) and TMC, had raised concerns over the exercise potentially disenfranchising electors, particularly the poor, rural and minorities. While the EC has started the process in Bihar, where elections are due in November, it has issued the order for the whole country. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked whether the EC was trying to 'implement the NRC [National Register of Citizens] through backdoors'. In its statement announcing the move on June 24, the EC had cited migration and inclusion of foreigners onto the rolls as among the reasons behind the move. 'The last intensive revision for Bihar was conducted by the Commission in the year 2003. Various reasons such as rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants have necessitated the conduct of an intensive revision so as to ensure integrity and preparation of error-free electoral rolls. The BLOs shall be conducting house-to-house survey for verification during the process of this intensive revision,' the EC had said. In its statement on Saturday, the EC underlined: 'The Constitution of India is supreme. All citizens, political parties and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution. Article 326 specifies eligibility to become an elector. Only Indian citizens, above 18 years and ordinary resident in that constituency, are eligible.' Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu's national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More
The Print
a day ago
- Politics
- The Print
EC begins intensive revision of Bihar voters list, says only Indian citizens can vote
The poll authority reminded that Article 326 specifies eligibility to become an elector — only Indian citizens, above 18 years and ordinary resident in that constituency are eligible to be on voters list. In a statement, the EC said, 'The Constitution of India is supreme. All citizens, political parties and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution.' The statement comes as opposition parties questioned the intent behind the intensive revision. New Delhi, Jun 28 (PTI) The Election Commission on Saturday said the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar has begun and reminded of a constitutional provision that says only Indian citizens can vote. Several opposition parties have said that the exercise carries the risk of willful exclusion of voters using the state machinery. The poll authority is carrying out an intensive review of electoral rolls this year in six states beginning with Bihar to weed out foreign illegal migrants by checking their place of birth. Bihar is going to polls this year while assembly polls in these five other states — Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal — are scheduled in 2026. The move, which would be later expanded to other states, assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal foreign migrants, including from Bangladesh and Myanmar. The EC said the special revision has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with 'full participation' of all political parties. The poll panel already has nearly 78,000 booth level officers (BLOs) and is appointing over 20,000 more for new polling stations, it said. More than one lakh volunteers will be assisting genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, persons with disabilities, poor and other vulnerable groups during the special intensive revision. All recognised national and state political parties have already appointed 1,54,977 booth level agents (BLAs). They can still appoint more, it pointed out. BLAs are party workers who coordinate with BLOs during boreotation or revision of voters list. EC said printing as well as door-to-door distribution of new enumeration forms for all the existing 7,89,69,844 electors of Bihar has already started in each of the 243 Assembly Constituencies of the state. Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of Electoral Roll on January 1, 2003, have to 'simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it'. PTI NAB ZMN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar electoral rll: Election Commission's new 'Enumeration Form' seeks additional proof from voters added after 2003
Bihar is set for a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Electors must fill a new pre-printed form. This form requires updated details and supporting documents. The Election Commission has set a tight timeline for submission. Booth Level Officers will conduct house-to-house verification. The draft electoral roll will be published in August. The final roll is expected by September. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: At the heart of the political debate on the Election Commission 's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is the new pre-printed ' Enumeration Form ' which every elector will have to fill within a month and back it up with supportive documents, if he did not figure in the state's 2003 electoral is different from the state's previous 'intensive' revision undertaken in 2003 when enumerators came for house-to-house verification with a working copy containing details of existing electors in a row with a blank row beneath for correction in the existing particulars and for capturing details of newly eligible Form', to be first deployed in Bihar and scaled across the country, comes pre-printed with details on the elector's name, old photograph, EPIC number, address and constituency details. Each elector will have to affix a new photograph and fill in date of birth, mobile number but adding Aadhaar number is 'optional'. Since an intensive revision was done in 2003, those on the electoral roll will not need to provide any additional documents but just add an extract of the roll along with the enumeration form. Officials said this would cover bulk of electors in any the rest, document submission is necessary which include nearly a dozen categories from government identity cards to family register, land allotment, educational certificate and so timeline for the above exercise makes it challenging for the electoral machinery in Bihar. Between June 25 and July 26, enumeration forms must reach each elector and be submitted with documents online or physically. Booth Level Officers will do house to house enumeration and attempt at least three visits to collect filled-up forms and hand out receipt acknowledgements. Even in case of online uploading of enumeration form, the BLO will verify documents during the HTH visit. Those who do not submit the enumeration form by July 25, will not have their name included in the draft electoral roll. However, no name will be deleted from the roll without proper inquiry and fair opportunity to elector draft electoral roll is to be published by August 1 and the final roll by September 30 after due period for claims and objections. The draft and final electoral rolls will be put out on the CEOs' website and shared with recognised political parties.A nine-member EC team is currently in Bihar holding meetings on conducting the SIR. Trainings have begun for BLOs to EROs on the new revision process. The CEO office has started a public outreach drive with advertisements in newspapers and social media. Meetings are being lined up with representatives of all political parties to apprise them of the drive. They will also be asked to appoint a Booth Level Agent at every polling booth to assist with and help verify in the roll revision CEO will be putting out claims-objections reports on a weekly basis on their website along with data on applications on correction/addition/deletion of elector names.
