Eight Crore Voters, One Controversy: Why Bihar's Voter List Revision Is Under Fire - Explained

A door-to-door verification of complete 8 crore voters successful Bihar has triggered a governmental and ineligible firestorm, pinch nan guidance INDIA bloc accusing nan Election Commission of orchestrating a targeted workout to use nan ruling NDA. The EC’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, presently underway, is being challenged successful nan Supreme Court, which is scheduled to perceive nan matter connected July 10.

What is nan Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

On June 24, nan Election Commission issued a notification to initiate an intensive door-to-door verification of voters successful Bihar. The process involves each registered elector signing printed enumeration forms containing their name, photo, and address. Voters must taxable caller photographs and valid impervious of residence. A contentious clause states that those not listed successful nan 2003 electoral rolls must supply further documentation. This, guidance leaders say, disproportionately impacts younker and marginalised groups.

The EC says nan nonsubjective is straightforward: update and sanitise nan elector database to guarantee each eligible citizens tin vote. The past specified revision successful Bihar was successful 2003.

Nearly 1 lakh booth-level officers (BLOs), supported by 4 lakh volunteers and thousands of party-nominated booth-level agents, are carrying retired nan process.

Why is location governmental uproar?

The INDIA bloc, led by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, alleges that nan revision is designed to “delete voters improbable to support nan NDA.” "Why has this workout been ordered only successful Bihar erstwhile successful 2003 a akin revision of electoral rolls was undertaken for nan full country? And why conscionable earlier nan assembly polls?” Tejashwi Yadav asked.

Bhattacharya called nan revision a “logistical nightmare” and questioned nan July 25 deadline fixed nan size of nan elector guidelines and monsoon disruptions.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led a protestation to nan EC agency successful Patna this week, while respective guidance parties person moved nan Supreme Court seeking a enactment connected nan revision.

What are nan main concerns?

Timing: Critics inquire why specified a large-scale revision is being done only successful Bihar, conscionable months earlier elections.

Documentation burden: Over 3 crore group who weren't successful nan 2003 rolls look much stringent verification.

Youth impact: Voters calved aft 1987 must supply further accusation astir their parents if nan second weren’t registered successful 2003.

Exclusion fears: Aadhaar and MNREGA cards aren’t accepted arsenic valid ID for those not recovered successful nan older rolls.

Disenfranchisement risks: The clause allowing Electoral Registration Officers to mention suspected overseas nationals nether nan Citizenship Act has raised alarm, peculiarly successful nan Seemanchal region.

What does nan EC say?

The EC has defended its ongoing typical intensive revision of electoral rolls, calling nan workout basal to a transparent electoral process. Pure electoral rolls are inevitable for strengthening democracy, nan committee said, adding that nan information of nan electors of Bihar has resulted successful nan successful postulation of much than 57% of Enumeration forms successful ongoing Bihar SIR till coming pinch still 16 days remaining. "The Election Commission of India was, is and will ever beryllium pinch nan electors of India," CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.

Legal situation and adjacent steps

The Supreme Court will perceive a batch of petitions connected July 10, including 1 jointly revenge by Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, JMM, CPI, and CPI(ML). They activity a enactment connected nan exercise, citing concerns of selective removal and ineligible overreach by nan EC.

(With inputs from PTI)