The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday raised sharp questions over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar, clarifying that the draft voters’ list to be published on August 1 is not the final roll.

In a strongly-worded statement, the EC said that a full month from August 1 to September 1 will be available for eligible citizens to file claims and objections, and ensure any wrongful inclusions or exclusions are corrected. The final list will be published on September 30.

The poll panel questioned the motive behind the uproar, saying, “Why are they creating such a big fuss now?” when the process is still ongoing.

As part of the first phase of SIR, which ended on July 25, enumeration forms were received from 7.24 crore voters — representing 91.69% of Bihar’s electorate. During this period, booth-level officers found that around 36 lakh electors had either permanently shifted or were untraceable. Additionally, seven lakh voters were discovered to be registered at multiple locations.

The EC clarified that the status of these voters will be scrutinised and finalised by August 1, but stressed that “genuine electors can still be added back to electoral rolls during the Claims and Objection period from August 1 to September 1.” Names appearing at multiple places will be retained at only one location.

Reacting to political allegations, the EC asked, “Why not ask their 1.6 lakh booth-level agents to submit claims and objections from August 1 till September 1?” It emphasised that all parties are free to check the process on the ground through their own workers.

The poll body further asked, “Why are some people trying to give the impression that the draft list is the final list, which it is not, as per Special Intensive Revision orders?”

Opposition parties in Bihar have alleged that the revision process could disenfranchise crores of voters due to documentation issues, and claimed it may benefit the ruling BJP through targeted exclusion of opposition supporters.

Rejecting such concerns, the EC maintained that the goal of the SIR is to ensure full participation of all electors and political parties. It noted that the number of booth-level agents (BLAs) increased by 16 per cent during the SIR phase, and added that “special efforts” are being made to ensure that no eligible voter in Bihar is left behind.

– Ends

With inputs from PTI.

Tune In