EC's Electoral Roll Revision Begins In Bihar, 4.96 Cr Individuals Under Scanner

The Election Commission (EC) has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to verify voter eligibility in Bihar's constituencies. This action aligns with Article 326 of the Constitution, which outlines voter eligibility criteria. According to the EC, only Indian citizens aged 18 and above, who are ordinary residents of a constituency, qualify as electors. The SIR is underway with active participation from all political parties.

During this revision process, over one lakh volunteers will assist genuine voters, especially those who are elderly, sick, disabled, poor, or belong to other vulnerable groups. The EC has also begun printing and distributing new Enumeration Forms (EF) for Bihar's more than 7.8 crore existing electors across 243 Assembly Constituencies.

Online and Offline Verification

The online submission of new Enumeration Forms has commenced successfully. Of the 7,89,69,844 registered electors, approximately 4.96 crore individuals need to verify their details by filling out and submitting these forms. These electors were part of the last intensive revision of the Electoral Roll on January 1, 2003.

To support this initiative, the EC has appointed 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and plans to recruit an additional 20,603 BLOs for new polling stations. Recognised national and state political parties have also designated 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAs), with opportunities to appoint more if needed.

Political Reactions

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien criticised the EC's SIR efforts. He accused the poll panel of attempting to introduce the National Register of Citizens (NRC) through indirect means. O'Brien compared this move to historical practices under Nazi Germany that required proof of ancestry for citizenship.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi echoed similar concerns about implementing NRC in Bihar. He warned that such actions might disenfranchise legitimate Indian voters and damage public trust in the Election Commission before elections.

Communication Efforts

The EC is actively engaging Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates to ensure full-time involvement of BLOs during the SIR process. Additionally, SMS notifications are being sent to over 5 crore registered mobile numbers in Bihar to keep citizens informed about ongoing activities related to SIR.

With inputs from ANI