The ongoing voter list revision (SIR) in Bihar has triggered a political storm, with the opposition actively protesting and raising concerns in the Parliament. The Election Commission, caught in the crossfire, has now directly questioned the opposition’s stance on the matter.
The Election Commission recently released the final data for the first phase of SIR in Bihar. The revised voter list includes 72.4 million voters, with 6.5 million names removed. The commission clarified that the removed names belonged to deceased, displaced, and foreign voters. This data release led to the Election Commission posing three crucial questions to the protesting opposition.
**Election Commission’s Three Questions to the Opposition:**
1. Should the names of deceased individuals be removed from the voter lists?
2. Should any voter be permitted to vote in multiple locations?
3. Should the names of foreign nationals be removed from the voter lists?
With the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, the voter list revision has been a contentious issue. The opposition has labeled it as a potential form of voter suppression. Chief Election Commissioner Gynesh Kumar on July 24 challenged the opposition’s criticisms, raising the question of whether the Election Commission should allow the ‘murder of democracy’.
The Chief Election Commissioner also specifically mentioned the removal of deceased voters from the Bihar voter list. He asked whether the commission should allow deceased voters, those who have moved out of the state, and fraudulent voters to vote. He questioned the opposition on whether removing deceased voters from the voter list was a wrong decision. He further inquired whether foreign voters should be allowed to participate.
Additionally, the Chief Election Commissioner emphasized that a transparently prepared voter list is crucial for conducting fair elections and establishing a robust democracy. He urged the opposition to consider these questions with objectivity, transcending political affiliations.
**Opposition’s Concerns and Protests:**
Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD has strongly opposed the SIR, raising it in the Bihar assembly. He has insisted that no resident of Bihar should be disenfranchised. The issue of voter list revision has become a nationwide concern, with the opposition continuously protesting against it during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.