Explained | Who gets to vote? Why Bihar's poll roll revision is under fire

New Delhi: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar just months ahead of the Assembly elections has sparked controversy, with the Opposition questioning the timing of the exercise. The Election Commission has defended the move, arguing that it is a constitutional obligation under Article 326 to ensure that only genuine citizens are enrolled as voters. Shemin Joy delves into the row.

What are the different kinds of electoral roll revision?

There are four types of electoral roll revision — intensive, summary, partly intensive and partly summary, and special. In an intensive revision, household verification is conducted. In a summary revision, the electoral roll is updated after inviting claims and objections regarding additions or deletions, without any door-to-door verification. In a partly intensive and partly summary revision, existing rolls are published in draft, while booth-level officers simultaneously carry out household verification. A special revision is undertaken as an urgent remedial measure to set right the electoral rolls. It can be clubbed with any of the other revision methods. For example, the EC may conduct a special summary revision or a special intensive revision, as is currently being done in Bihar.

What kind of electoral revision is being conducted in Bihar?

On June 24, the EC ordered a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls of Bihar. The last intensive revision in the state was carried out in 2003. Voters whose names appear in the 2003 voters' list need not provide any proof. Those who are registered as voters after the publication of the 2003 electoral roll, prepared after intensive revision, must submit proof of their date/place of birth and records of parents to establish their eligibility. Children of around 4.96 crore people listed in the 2003 rolls need not provide any parental documents during the ongoing SIR.

What is the EC's rationale for conducting the SIR?

The EC says that electoral rolls have undergone significant changes over the past 20 years due to large-scale additions and deletions. Rapid urbanisation and frequent migration on account of education, livelihood and other factors have become a regular trend. Some electors obtain registration in one place and then shift their residence and register themselves elsewhere without getting their names deleted from the original rolls, leading to the possibility of repeated entries. The situation warrants an intensive verification drive to verify each person before enrolment as an elector. The EC also cites Article 326, which mandates that only Indian citizens are eligible to vote and says that it has a constitutional obligation to ensure that only persons who are citizens are electors.

How many voters will have to provide documents?

Bihar currently has 7.89 crore voters. Around 2.93 crore were enrolled after 2003. While voters born before 1987 must provide proof of their date and/or place of birth, those born between 1987 and 2004 will have to provide documents to prove their date and/or place of birth as well as similar proof for either parent. For those born after 2004, documents related to the voter's and their parent’s date and/or place of birth, and a copy of a parent's passport (if not an Indian at the time of the elector's birth) will be needed.

Why is there a political controversy over the issue?

Opposition parties like Congress, RJD, Trinamool Congress, CPM and CPI(ML)L have raised questions about the timing of the exercise, as it comes just a few months ahead of the Bihar elections. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh says the Opposition may approach the court to stop the exercise. The Congress calls it a “devious and dubious” exercise that carries a “huge risk of wilful exclusion” of voters, with officials having the power to “control and dictate” which document to accept or not. Other parties also reflect similar opinions.