Election Commission Begins Voter Roll Revision in Bihar Despite Opposition
NEW DELHI/PATNA: The Election Commission (EC) has kicked off a special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar, moving forward despite pushback from opposition parties. This initiative targets the 243 assembly constituencies in the state and requires voters who registered after 2003 to provide proof of citizenship. Around 98,450 officers will conduct a door-to-door verification over the next month.
The EC will consider the 2003 electoral roll, which lists approximately 4.9 crore voters, as valid evidence of eligibility. This means that those listed on this roll will be presumed to be Indian citizens unless proven otherwise.
Voters who are not present on the 2003 roll will need to submit one of 11 accepted government documents to demonstrate their eligibility. Currently, Bihar has around 7.9 crore total voters.
The EC defended its decision to conduct the SIR, referring to Article 326 of the Constitution. This article states that only Indian citizens aged 18 and over who reside in the constituency can be registered as voters. The timing of the revision coincides with legal requirements that mandate a revision of electoral rolls before any election, unless the EC provides a documented reason not to.
Opposition groups, part of a coalition known as the INDIA bloc, have criticized the timing of the revision, arguing that it could unfairly impact certain voter groups to benefit the ruling party. In response, the EC emphasized its commitment to upholding constitutional values, stating that all activities regarding the roll revision are proceeding as planned.
Printing and distributing new forms for voter enumeration have already started across the 243 constituencies. Voters who are already part of the 2003 electoral roll need only to fill out these forms and submit them to local officers. New voters will need to provide documentation alongside their forms.
As the process unfolds, the focus remains on ensuring that every eligible voter can participate in upcoming elections.
