NEW DELHI: Even as a major controversy has erupted over the Election Commission of India (ECI) launching the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls later this year, political parties are actively participating in the process. They have so far appointed over 1.5 lakh of their workers as Booth Level Agents (BLAs), and are in the process of appointing more.
A source in the ECI said, “All political parties in Bihar are participating actively in the SIR at the booth level by appointing more than 1.5 lakh party workers as BLAs till now. They are in the process of appointing more and more BLAs for proper verification of the electoral rolls.”
The poll panel has also appealed to and advised political parties with a substantial presence in Bihar “to appoint their workers as BLAs in all polling stations now rather than finding faults with the electoral rolls later, particularly after the poll process is completed”.
As per the data provided by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, the BJP has so far appointed 51,964 BLAs, the RJD 47,143, the JD(U) 27,931, the Congress 8,586, the LJP 2,457, the RLSP 264, the CPI(ML) 233, the CPI(M) 76, and the BSP 26.
Noting that the poll panel, by conducting the SIR, has been fulfilling its mandate under Article 326 of the Constitution, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said, “With the launch of SIR, history began. It was a proud moment for all Indians. The Election Commission was, is and will always be with the voters.”
Commenting on the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, former CEC T. S. Krishnamurthy said, “Usually, door-to-door verification of the electoral roll is conducted every five years. But this time, a special and intensive registration drive has been ordered. The ECI has taken this step in response to ongoing criticism. However, the issue with our political parties is that whether work is done or not, they still find something to complain about. It has become a habit to criticise, no matter the effort.”
Meanwhile, a source noted that the exercise is going to be massive and challenging, involving verification of each and every voter in Bihar, where the voter base stands at around 7.7 crore.
“We have deployed 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for this exercise. We have plans to induct an additional 20,603 personnel to accomplish the gigantic task. This will be besides the one lakh volunteers, who will assist genuine voters, including the elderly, infirm, or persons with disabilities,” the source added.
Once this extensive exercise is completed, the EC will publish the draft electoral rolls on 1 August. Common voters can verify and lodge complaints until the final voters’ list is prepared in September.
The Assembly election for the 243-member House in Bihar is slated to be held in October and November this year.
Opposition parties including the Congress, the TMC, the RJD, and the AIMIM have criticised the poll panel for conducting the SIR, claiming that the exercise is a back-door attempt to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC).