BLOs find many voters from Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar in Bihar during SIR: EC sources

New Delhi: The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have found a large number of people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar in the electoral rolls of Bihar during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and they stand to be omitted from the final rolls after an enquiry, Election Commission sources claimed on Sunday.

Sources said their names will not be included in the final electoral roll to be published on September 30 but only after a proper enquiry, which will be conducted after August 1. The EC sources have not provided any figure for the number of such voters found in the electoral rolls.

The discovery has come to light during the house visit of BLOs to distribute and collect Enumeration Forms from those who have been registered as voters till June 24 this year, sources said. Bihar has around 7.89 crore voters.

The Opposition has objected to the exercise claiming that it is aimed at disenfranchising the poor and the migrant workers while insisting that the EC is not competent or legally sanctioned to determine citizenship. It had also claimed that local officials were being given overwhelming powers, which may be misused.

Top RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav told ANI, “we have seen many elections, including in 2014, 2019, and 2024. We lost by 3-4 lakh votes. Does that mean all these foreigners voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi? It means that the NDA are at fault. It also means that they won by fraud. SIR is a complete eyewash and the EC is working as a cell of a political party.”

Senior RJD MP Manoj Jha asked who were these sources and one is not hearing it from the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar or other Election Commissioners. "If foreigners are there, who is responsible? Who is the Home Minister? Even before the draft rolls are prepared, these planted stories are sowing the seeds of hatred."

AIMIM chief and senior MP Asaduddin Owaisi said it was "embarrassing" that a constitutional body is communicating with the public through “sources.”

Asking the EC to clarify who gave it the power to determine citizenship of voters, he said, "this 'intensive revision' is happening right before a critical election; it is forcing the poorest people to magically come up with documents that most won’t have. The purpose seems to be to make them powerless."

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said, "instead of ensuring the rights of Biharis, RJD and Congress are advocating the rights of outsiders. They want foreigners to get the right to vote, but the people of Bihar should not get the right to vote."

According to the timeline for the SIR, voters can submit their Enumeration Forms with documents proving their citizenship and date of birth till July 25.

If someone cannot provide documents by July 25, they have the option of submitting the documents between August 30, the last date of filing claims and objections.

To get included in the draft roll to be published on August 1, one has to submit the Enumeration Form. Those submitting the Enumeration Forms without documents will have to submit by August 30 to get included in the final list.

The Opposition has objected to the exercise claiming that it is aimed at disenfranchising the poor and the migrant workers.