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NDTV
an hour ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Day Before Form Deadline, 61 Lakh Voters At Risk Of Exclusion In Bihar
A day before the deadline for submitting the enumeration forms as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission of India has said 61.1 lakh voters are set to be removed from Bihar's electoral rolls. The Election Commission (EC) said on Thursday that officials have reached out to 99% of voters so far. Out of 7.9 crore electors, 7.21 crore enumeration forms have been submitted and digitised, and only 7 lakh have not returned their forms. Of the 61.1 lakh voters that may be struck off the rolls, the Election Commission said 21.6 lakh are dead, 31.5 lakh have permanently moved outside Bihar, 7 lakh are registered as electors in multiple locations, and 1 lakh are untraceable. If the figure stands, on average, 25,144 names could be removed per constituency across Bihar's 243 Assembly seats. This is expected to have a major impact on results in the Assembly elections, likely to be held in a couple of months, because the last polls saw very narrow victory margins in several seats. In the 2020 elections, 11 seats were decided by a margin of less than 1,000 votes, 35 seats by less than 3,000 votes, and 52 by less than 5,000 votes. The opposition Grand Alliance - which has the RJD and the Congress as members, among others, and has been opposing the exercise, calling it rushed - lost in 27 constituencies by under 5,000 votes, 18 seats by less than 3,000 votes and six with a margin of less than 1,000 votes. Rahul Gandhi vs Election Commission Parties in the opposition INDIA bloc have also protested in Parliament against the SIR, accusing the Election Commission of irregularities. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the poll body, saying, "If you think you will get away with it, you are wrong. We have 100% proof of the Election Commission allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka. This is a pattern: in one constituency after another, new votes are being added while old voters are deleted." Terming the claims "baseless", the EC said that instead of following due process under Section 80 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Mr Gandhi chose to make public accusations and threats against a constitutional body.
News18
an hour ago
- Politics
- News18
Rahul, EC engage in war of words over Karnataka LS poll cheating
New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Rahul Gandhi and the Election Commission (EC) were engaged in a war of words on Thursday over alleged 'cheating" in a Karnataka constituency during last year's Lok Sabha polls, with the Congress leader warning the poll authority that it will not get away with this 'because we are going to come for you". A spokesperson of the EC wondered as to why such 'baseless and threatening allegations are being made against the CEC and that too now". Gandhi said the Congress has 'concrete, 100 per cent proof" that the EC allowed cheating in a constituency in the southern state during the Lok Sabha polls 2024 and warned the election watchdog that it will not get away with this 'because we are going to come for you". Responding to Gandhi's statement, the EC said it is 'highly unfortunate" that rather than filing an election petition in accordance with section 80 of the Representation of the People Act, or if filed, awaiting the verdict of the high court, he has not only made 'baseless allegations" but also 'chosen to threaten" a constitutional body. The EC spokesperson said as far as the Karnataka electoral rolls of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls are concerned, not a single appeal was filed with any of the district magistrates or the chief electoral officer of the state — a valid legal remedy available to the Congress under section 24 of the RP Act. As far as the conduct of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is concerned, of the 10 election petitions, not a single one was filed by any losing Congress candidate as a legal remedy available to the party under section 80 of the RP Act, he pointed out. Gandhi accused the EC of not functioning as the Election Commission of India and 'not doing its job". Asked about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's reported remarks that the option of boycotting the state Assembly polls, due later in the year, remains open, Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex that the Congress has 'concrete, 100 per cent proof" that the EC allowed cheating in a seat in Karnataka. 'Not 90 per cent, when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof," the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said. 'We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency, this is the drama that is taking place…. I want to send a message to the Election Commission — if you think you are going to get away with this, if your officers think they are going to get away with this, you are mistaken. You are not going to get away with this because we are going to come for you," he said. PTI NAB RC (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 20:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
'Can't allow dead, migrants, or duplicates on voter rolls', says CEC Kumar
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, hitting back at opposition political parties who allege the move could disenfranchise millions. Addressing concerns about the inclusion of ineligible voters, Kumar questioned whether the Election Commission could be accused of bias for removing names of the dead, migrants, or those registered in multiple locations. 'Isn't a pure voter list being prepared by the Election Commission through a transparent process, the foundation for fair elections and a strong democracy?' Kumar asked. He added that allowing ineligible names to remain on the rolls, first in Bihar, then nationwide, would go against the Constitution. 'On these questions, someday or the other, all of us and all the citizens of India will have to think deeply, going beyond political ideologies,' he said. Over 5.2 mn missing or dead, says EC The Commission revealed that during house-to-house visits under the SIR, officials found more than 5.2 million voters absent from their registered addresses and another 1.8 million already deceased. In total, over 100,000 voters were found untraceable, while 1.5 million did not submit enumeration forms, the EC said, citing the ongoing verification process. In all, the EC received and digitised forms from over 71.7 million individuals, but flagged irregularities like duplicate, invalid, or missing entries in the list. EC tells SC it has right to check citizenship Amid legal challenges to the SIR, the Election Commission informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it is within its rights to verify citizenship during the voter roll revision exercise. Responding to petitions that questioned the EC's authority to demand proof of citizenship, the Commission filed a counter-affidavit citing Article 326 of the Constitution, and Sections 16 and 19 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. These legal provisions, the affidavit argued, empower the EC to ensure that only Indian citizens are enrolled as voters. 'ECI is vested with the power to scrutinise whether a proposed elector fulfils the criteria for being registered as a voter in the electoral roll, which includes, inter alia, an assessment of citizenship,' said Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar. Political parties part of the process, says EC On Tuesday, the EC said that all major political parties were involved in the voter roll revision process in Bihar. Over 150,000 booth-level agents were deployed by these parties to support the exercise. In an affidavit submitted in court, the EC defended the pan-India SIR initiative starting with Bihar. The Commission said it had full constitutional and legal authority to take such steps to maintain the purity of elections and the accuracy of electoral rolls. (With agency inputs)
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HC notices to MLAs Thakre, Datke over poll pleas
Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Congress MLA Vikas Thakre and BJP MLA Pravin Datke in response to separate election petitions filed by their opponents in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. The court granted both leaders eight weeks to file their replies. Thakre's victory from West Nagpur was challenged by independent candidate advocate Pritam Khandate. Datke, who won from Central Nagpur, faced a petition from his opponent, Mohammad Imran Qureshi. Both petitions were filed within the 45-day statutory period after the declaration of results, complying with provisions under the Representation of the People Act. While the content of the petitions was not disclosed during the brief proceedings, legal observers note that such challenges typically involve allegations related to electoral conduct or procedural lapses. "The court has granted time for the respondents to file detailed replies," the petitioners said.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
We have power to seek proof of citizenship: EC to SC
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that it has the statutory and constitutional authority to seek proof of citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Defending its action in a counter-affidavit filed in the batch of petitions challenging the SIR process, the ECI rejected the argument that it was overstepping its jurisdiction by asking individuals to prove citizenship. It asserted that this obligation flows from Article 326 of the Constitution and Sections 16 and 19 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. 'ECI is vested with the power to scrutinize whether a proposed elector fulfils the criteria for being registered as a voter in the electoral roll, which includes an assessment of citizenship as per Article 326,' stated the affidavit filed by Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar. The ECI added that its powers flow directly from Articles 324 and 326 read with Sections 16 and 19 of the RP Act, 1950. Highlighting Section 19, the Commission emphasised that citizenship is a key eligibility criterion for voter registration. It is thus obligated to verify this condition to ensure that no ineligible person is included and no eligible person excluded. The ECI rejected the contention that only the central government can adjudicate citizenship issues, clarifying that Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, vests exclusive jurisdiction with the Centre only for determining termination of citizenship upon voluntary acquisition of foreign citizenship. 'Other aspects related to citizenship can be inquired into by other relevant authorities for their purposes, including the ECI,' it stated.
