Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday responded to criticism over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, stating that this was part of the Election Commission’s constitutional duty to ensure accurate voter lists.
In remarks shared via an official statement, Kumar defended the removals pushing back allegations of targeted disenfranchisement. “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 asked, as reported by PTI.
The Election Commissioner’s comments came amid opposition protests in Parliament, with parties from the INDIA bloc accusing the EC of overseeing a politically motivated exclusion drive.
According to figures released by the EC, during the ongoing house-to-house verification as part of the SIR in Bihar, booth-level officials found over 52 lakh voters not present at their listed addresses, while another 18 lakh individuals were found to be deceased. The EC contends that many entries also involve duplication, or voters who have permanently migrated or registered themselves in multiple constituencies.
The CEC stressed that allowing such names to remain on the rolls would be a violation of the constitutional principle of fair electoral representation. “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 added.
The Election Commission reiterated that under the current guidelines, a window from August 1 to September 1 will be available for voters and recognised political parties to file claims and objections. This period will allow corrections to or errors made by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs).
The opposition continues to demand a parliamentary debate on the issue, arguing that this could potentially disenfranchise crores of eligible voters, especially in a state like Bihar which is scheduled to go to the polls later this year.
