Opposition meets EC, opposes Bihar poll roll revision

Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi said they also protested against the new directive of the poll panel for entry to the Election Commission premises that ask only party presidents to appear before it.

INDIA bloc leaders address the media after meeting the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over voters’ list revision, in New Delhi on Wednesday | pti 

NEW DELHI: Leaders of several INDIA bloc parties met the Election Commission on Wednesday and flagged concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Leaders from 11 parties, including the Congress, RJD, CPM, CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, NCP-SP and Samajwadi Party met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other election commissioners, objecting to the special scrutiny being conducted just a few months ahead of the assembly election in the state.

The INDIA bloc parties have been vocal in their opposition to the exercise of the Special Intensive Revision, which has already started in Bihar, and is to be carried out in five more states -- Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal -- that are going to polls next year.

Speaking to media after the meeting, Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi said they also protested against the new directive of the poll panel for entry to the Election Commission premises that ask only party presidents to appear before it.

“For the first time, we were given rules to enter the EC. For the first time we were told only party chiefs can go. Such restriction means necessary dialogue between political parties and EC can’t happen,” Singhvi said.

“We had given a list, no unauthorised person was allowed. Forcing parties to allow only two people is unfortunate,” he said, adding, some senior leaders had to wait for three hours.

“We asked since last revision, four or five elections have been held in Bihar.” The SIR of 2003 was held one year before the Lok Sabha elections, it was 24 months before Bihar assembly polls.

“The second point was that if you were to do the SIR, then why was the announcement made suddenly at the end of June. The third point is that you are seeking documents for this. For one decade, for everything, you ask for the Aadhaar card and ration card. For the first time, you are saying that a person’s name will not be considered if one doesn’t have a birth certificate,” he said.

RJD leader Manoj Jha sought to know whether the exercise was about disenfranchsing people.