<p>New Delhi: The CPI(M) on Friday joined other Opposition parties in opposing the 'Special Intensive Revision' of Bihar electoral rolls, calling it an exercise "similar to the proposed NRC" and expressing fear that it may be used to target a certain section of voters leading to their disenfranchisement. </p><p>Questioning the "timing" of the SIR that is scheduled just months ahead of the Bihar polls and urging the poll body to "abandon" the exercise, it said the EC should have taken at least the parties into confidence and elicited their views before undertaking such an exercise rather than convening the meeting in Patna on June 25 to formally inform them of the launch of the programme.</p>.Bihar Assembly polls: CPI(ML)L raises objection to EC over special revision of electoral rolls.<p>In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Nilotpal Basu said, "this entire exercise is similar to the proposed NRC. There are fears that it may be used to target a certain section of voters leading to their disenfranchisement."</p><p>He said a majority of the parties, which attended the meeting convened by the Bihar CEO, had opposed this exercise and called for its abandonment. This exercise is causing concern because the EC has declared that the same method will be adopted for other impending elections and therefore the CPI(M) urged the EC to abandon this exercise, he said.</p><p>Basu said review of electoral rolls is a normal and routine process but the SIR appears to be putting a "major part of the responsibility" for inclusion or deletion from the electoral rolls is being imposed on the voters themselves. </p><p>Raising concerns, he said, if the Booth Level Officers (BLO) fails to deliver the enumeration form to an existing elector and the said voter is unaware of the process to get the form, his name will be deleted from the electoral roll. "Let alone internet connectivity and e-literacy, when even ordinary literacy is lacking, how does the EC expect such voters to download/upload forms?" he asked.</p>.Devious and dubious idea: Congress on EC's call for special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of polls.<p>Deletion of names of ineligible voters is the responsibility of the concerned Booth Level Officers and the onus of validating one’s own legitimate claim as voter at a given place cannot be imposed upon any ordinary voter, as is being sought to be done of already enrolled voters, he said.</p><p>He also said the insistence on providing proof of residence for all existing voters will lead to unnecessary harassment of voters, who may not have the requisite documents. </p><p>"The insistence on proof of parents will only complicate matters further. This will result in deletion of the names of many genuine voters who may have migrated temporarily and are not currently available in the state and who would not be in a position to return before the completion of this exercise, even while their names are not listed in any electoral roll elsewhere," he said.</p><p>“Additionally, the timing of the exercise is also a cause for concern...Holding such an extensive exercise just a few months before the state goes to polls will vitiate the atmosphere and is fraught with dangers. The time frame for the completion of the entire exercise is just a month,” he said. </p>
<p>New Delhi: The CPI(M) on Friday joined other Opposition parties in opposing the 'Special Intensive Revision' of Bihar electoral rolls, calling it an exercise "similar to the proposed NRC" and expressing fear that it may be used to target a certain section of voters leading to their disenfranchisement. </p><p>Questioning the "timing" of the SIR that is scheduled just months ahead of the Bihar polls and urging the poll body to "abandon" the exercise, it said the EC should have taken at least the parties into confidence and elicited their views before undertaking such an exercise rather than convening the meeting in Patna on June 25 to formally inform them of the launch of the programme.</p>.Bihar Assembly polls: CPI(ML)L raises objection to EC over special revision of electoral rolls.<p>In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Nilotpal Basu said, "this entire exercise is similar to the proposed NRC. There are fears that it may be used to target a certain section of voters leading to their disenfranchisement."</p><p>He said a majority of the parties, which attended the meeting convened by the Bihar CEO, had opposed this exercise and called for its abandonment. This exercise is causing concern because the EC has declared that the same method will be adopted for other impending elections and therefore the CPI(M) urged the EC to abandon this exercise, he said.</p><p>Basu said review of electoral rolls is a normal and routine process but the SIR appears to be putting a "major part of the responsibility" for inclusion or deletion from the electoral rolls is being imposed on the voters themselves. </p><p>Raising concerns, he said, if the Booth Level Officers (BLO) fails to deliver the enumeration form to an existing elector and the said voter is unaware of the process to get the form, his name will be deleted from the electoral roll. "Let alone internet connectivity and e-literacy, when even ordinary literacy is lacking, how does the EC expect such voters to download/upload forms?" he asked.</p>.Devious and dubious idea: Congress on EC's call for special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of polls.<p>Deletion of names of ineligible voters is the responsibility of the concerned Booth Level Officers and the onus of validating one’s own legitimate claim as voter at a given place cannot be imposed upon any ordinary voter, as is being sought to be done of already enrolled voters, he said.</p><p>He also said the insistence on providing proof of residence for all existing voters will lead to unnecessary harassment of voters, who may not have the requisite documents. </p><p>"The insistence on proof of parents will only complicate matters further. This will result in deletion of the names of many genuine voters who may have migrated temporarily and are not currently available in the state and who would not be in a position to return before the completion of this exercise, even while their names are not listed in any electoral roll elsewhere," he said.</p><p>“Additionally, the timing of the exercise is also a cause for concern...Holding such an extensive exercise just a few months before the state goes to polls will vitiate the atmosphere and is fraught with dangers. The time frame for the completion of the entire exercise is just a month,” he said. </p>