Bihar Voter List Under Scrutiny: Commission Discloses 200,000 Removal Requests

The Election Commission is currently engaged in a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar. This process is facing opposition from Congress and RJD, who have launched a voter rights campaign featuring Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, among others. These leaders are raising concerns about the SIR. The Election Commission has disclosed that approximately 198,000 individuals have requested to be removed from the voter list. Simultaneously, around 30,000 applications for name inclusions have been received. The draft voter list was made public on August 1st, allowing individuals and political parties to submit “claims and objections” until September 1st. Election laws grant citizens and parties the right to challenge names they believe are ineligible for inclusion in the draft list. Conversely, eligible individuals who are not listed can also apply for inclusion. The final voter list for Bihar, which is anticipated to be used in the November elections, is scheduled for publication on September 30th. Booth-level agents appointed by political parties have filed claims related to the draft voter list, including 25 for inclusion and 103 for removal of names. According to the Election Commission, 99.11% of Bihar’s 7.24 crore voters have submitted their verification documents. The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to accept either Aadhaar cards or any of the 11 other specified documents from those seeking to register on the voter list. The Election Commission has appealed to the Supreme Court to maintain its confidence in the special intensive revision campaign in Bihar. Despite the Election Commission’s efforts, opposition parties have criticized the SIR. They allege collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP, suggesting it is a scheme to remove the votes of marginalized communities.