Responding to opposition’s criticism, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday justified the initiative to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar happening after 22 years, saying that the Constitution-backed exercise is aimed at weeding out ineligible voters and ensuring eligible ones remain in the electoral roll (ER) ahead of assembly polls.
The CEC has also uploaded the 2003 electoral roll of Bihar, comprising details of 4.96 crore electors, on the ECI website.
“The objective of SIR is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the electoral roll. More than one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their enumeration forms”, Kumar said in a statement to back the Commission against the political onslaught.
The ease of availability of 2003 electoral rolls of Bihar, would hugely facilitate the ongoing SIR as now nearly 60 per cent of the total electorate, would not have to submit any documents, the CEC said in a statement.
They have to just verify their details from the 2003 electoral rolls in the ER and submit the filled-up enumeration form. Both, the electors as well the booth level officers (BLOs), would be able to readily access these details, the Commission stated.
Anyone whose name is not in the 2003 Bihar electoral roll can still use the extract of 2003 electoral roll rather than providing any other documents for his/her mother or father, the Commission clarified.
In such cases, no other document would be required for his/her parents . Only the relevant extract/details of the 2003 ER would be sufficient. Such electors would have to submit the documents, only for themselves, along with the filled-up enumeration form, the Commission said.
It is reiterated that before every election, revision of electoral roll is mandatory as per section 21(2)(a) of the Representation of People Act 1950 and Rule 25 of the Registration of Elector Rules 1960.
The ECI has been conducting annual revisions, intensive as well as summary, for 75 years by now, it remarked to counter opposition like RJD’s blame which stated that the Commission is conducting the exercise close to the polls to rob Biharis of exercising their franchise. Poor would find it difficult to come up with documents to prove validity of their poll ID card, RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has been saying to oppose the move.
The ECI again reiterated that the Article 326 of the Constitution specifies that only Indian citizens, above 18 years and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible to be registered as an elector.