Bihar Elections: Over 65 lakh voters excluded in draft rolls after SIR exercise
The voters can opt to complain about the wrongful deletion of their names and may seek remedies from the concerned authorities, till September 1.
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday revealed data from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, which excluded over 65 lakh voter enumeration forms in the draft electoral rolls in the state. Previously, the number of voters registered was 7.9 crore, after the publication of the report, the number has dropped to 7.24 crore.
The EC claimed that Patna alone contributes to the highest number of missing voters, which marks 3.95 lakh, while Madhubani records 3.52 lakh, East Champaran with 3.16 lakh, and Gopalganj with 3.10 lakh.
Some dead, few untraced...
The reports reveal that 36.28 lakh have 'permanently migrated' out of the state or were 'not found' at their official addresses, and another 7.01 lakh were found to have enrolled at more than one constituency. Over 22 lakhs were reported dead, and nearly 1.2 lakh voters did not submit their forms at all.
The entire process involved each of the 243 assembly constituencies and 90,817 polling stations, and was being shared with all political parties by the 38 district collectors as well. The draft is published following criticism of the SIR by the Opposition, which claimed that it assisted the ruling NDA government in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
With the publication of draft rolls, a process of "Claims and Objections" will also take place, and is expected to continue till September 1. During this period, voters can opt to complain about the wrongful deletion of their names and may seek remedies from the concerned authorities. The final list is expected to be published after the completion of the redressal period.
Ruckus in Parliament
The Parliament on Friday witnessed a fiery discord over the SIR issue. The Rajya Sabha was reportedly adjourned after the Opposition Party demanded a discussion on the EC's move. Subsequently, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded a "parliamentary takeover" when security personnel stopped MPs from entering the well of the House.