Kumar Bahukhandi
Election Commission – Photo – Photo Credit-ANI
The Election Commission had issued an order on June 24 to conduct a thorough revision of the voter list across the country. Now the Election Commission has announced to start the revision work on Friday. This information has come to light at a time when the intensive revision of the voter list in Bihar is being strongly opposed by the opposition across the country.
New Delhi :The intensive revision of voter list being done by the Election Commission in Bihar is being opposed by the opposition from Parliament to the streets. Despite heavy opposition, the Election Commission made a big announcement on Friday. In fact, the Election Commission has said that it has been decided to start the work of intensive revision of voter list across the country and soon the schedule for this will be released.
The Election Commission had issued the order last month itself
The Election Commission had issued an order in this regard on June 24 itself and said that this work of intensive revision of voter list will be done under constitutional duty and for the integrity and security of the voter list. Now the Election Commission has started it. The order issued by the Election Commission states that ‘Maintaining the integrity of the voter list is a basic need for fair and free elections. Information about the eligibility, process and method of preparing the voter list has been given under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Registration of Electoral Rules, 1960.’
Why is there a controversy over SIR (Special Intensive Revision)
On June 24 last month, the Election Commission had directed a Special Voter Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. It is to be held between June 25 and July 26, 2025. The Election Commission says that the revision is being done with the aim of removing fake, ineligible and voters registered at two places in the voter list. At the same time, the opposition parties allege that the Election Commission is checking the citizenship of the people through the back door through this special intensive revision. Also, the opposition alleges that under its guise, the right to vote can be taken away from people on a large scale. However, the Election Commission has assured that if a person is out of the voter list, it will not mean that his citizenship has ended. The Election Commission has also said that under the law and the Constitution, it has the right to ask for documents related to citizenship, so that people can get ‘voting rights’.
Election Commission had raised questions on opposition’s protest
The opposition is strongly opposing the intensive revision of voter list. There is uproar in Bihar assembly and parliament on this issue. Amidst opposition’s protest and criticism, Election Commission raised some questions and said that ‘Constitution of India is the mother of Indian democracy. So, should Election Commission, out of fear of opposition, get confused under the pressure of some people and clear the way for those who cast fake votes in the name of dead voters? Those voters who have migrated permanently, those voters who are fake or foreign, should they be allowed to vote first in Bihar and then in the whole country, going against the constitution?’
It is being claimed that in the revision, names of at least 56 lakh voters can be deleted in Bihar. Out of this, 20 lakh voters have died. 28 lakh such voters have been identified who have permanently migrated from their registered address. At the same time, there are one lakh voters whose whereabouts are not known. 7 lakh voters have been found registered at more than one place.
