NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued nearly 3 lakh notices to electors in Bihar after Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) found discrepancies in their voter identification documents during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls, sources said on Friday.
According to officials, the discrepancies were discovered during document verification, and in several instances, nationals from neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, were allegedly found in possession of Indian voter identity cards.
“These irregularities surfaced during document checks conducted by EROs, with formal notices issued following detailed field inquiries,” a senior official stated. Each elector flagged in the process has been asked to appear before authorities within seven days to clarify or rectify their records.
A comprehensive verification drive is scheduled to take place from 1 to 30 August, and individuals found ineligible will have their names removed from the final voter list, which is set to be published on 30 September.
“During house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), many individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar were found to have procured multiple Indian documents, including Aadhaar, ration cards, and domicile certificates,” the source added.
The highest number of questionable cases have been reported from border and adjoining districts such as East Champaran, West Champaran, Madhubani, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Araria, and Supaul.
As of Thursday, the ECI had received a total of 2,11,650 applications from individuals and political parties seeking inclusion or deletion of names from the draft rolls. Among political parties, CPI (ML) Liberation submitted 8 applications, while the main opposition party RJD submitted 9.
Out of the total applications, 24,991 have already been disposed of by the EROs. However, the ECI has not released specific figures on how many were related to inclusions or deletions.
The draft electoral roll was published on 1 August, following the commencement of the SIR process on 24 June. According to the poll panel, documents of 99.11% of Bihar’s 7.24 crore electors have already been verified, with 98.2% submitting the required documentation between 24 June and 24 August.