NEW DELHI: Facing flak over voter roll revision in Bihar, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday asked if the poll body can come under influence and allow the dead, those who have migrated permanently or have registered themselves as electors at multiple places be included in the voters' list.
His remarks came amid stepped up attacks by the opposition parties which have been targeting the poll authority over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral roll.
The Opposition leaders have claimed that the ECI’s move “will disenfranchise crores of eligible citizens”.
According to an ECI statement, the CEC said, “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?”
He said allowing ineligible people to vote, first in Bihar and later in the entire country, is 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 underlined.
Meanwhile, during house-to-house visit as part of the ongoing SIR of electoral roll in Bihar, poll officials have so far found that 61.10 lakh voters were not present at their addresses and out of which “BLOs/BLAs have reported names of 21.6 lakh deceased electior, 31.5 lakh electors, who have permanently migrated, 7lakh of them registered at more than one place and another one lakh were untraceable”.
“Despite door-to- door visits by local BLOs/BLAs, forms of fewer than seven lakhelectors have still not been received,” the ECI noted in the statement, adding that so far 7.21 crore electors (91.32%) have been received and digitised and names of all these electors will be included in the Draft Electoral Rolls.”
The poll panel said, “As per the SIR Order, the Draft Electoral Roll will be published on August 1, 2025, and printed as well as digital copies will be provided to all 12 political parties. The draft rolls will also be available on the website. The Commission once again reiterates that, as per the SIR order, any elector or political party can file a claim in case of missing names or raise an objection in case of wrong inclusion till September 1, 2025.”
