Nearly 3 crore voters under scanner as EC's electoral roll revision begins in Bihar

New Delhi: Around 2.93 crore of 7.89 crore voters in Bihar will have to provide proof of their eligibility as voters during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state by the Election Commission (EC), an exercise that has attracted strong objections from the Opposition.

The EC said on Saturday that the process has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with full participation of all parties.

Defending the exercise, the EC said, “the Constitution is supreme. All citizens, political parties and the EC follow the Constitution. Article 326 specifies eligibility to become an elector. Only Indian citizens, above 18 years and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible.”

"Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of Electoral Roll on 1 January, 2003, have to simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it," it said.

According to the EC order on June 24, voters who have their names in the 2003 electoral rolls would not need to attach any additional document along with the Enumeration Form, except the extract of the roll as their eligibility as a voter was established then. However, any person whose name is not recorded in the 2003 rolls will have to submit from “amongst a wide range of eligible government documents” for establishing their eligibility.

The Opposition has already dubbed the exercise “NRC through backdoor” and questioned its timing just ahead of the Bihar elections.

While 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are already in place, the poll body said it is appointing at least 20,603 more Booth Level Officers for new polling stations to carry out the exercise, which was last held in Bihar in 2003.

Over one lakh volunteers will be assisting electors, particularly the old, sick, Persons with Disabilities (PwD), poor and other vulnerable groups during the SIR. All recognised national and state parties registered with EC have also already appointed 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAs). The EC said parties can still appoint more BLAs.

Printing as well as door-to-door distribution of new Enumeration Forms (EF) for all the existing 7,89,69,844 electors of Bihar has already started in each of the 243 Assembly Constituencies of Bihar. Online filling of the new Enumeration Forms (EFs) has already been enabled and has also started successfully, it said.

"All Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates are engaging all the BLOs full time during the SIR. SMSs are also being sent to the 5,74,07,022 registered mobile numbers of Bihar. All activities relating to SIR are progressing well as per schedule," the EC said in a statement.