Ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, political tensions are rising. The opposition is questioning the government and the Election Commission regarding the new voter list. Amidst these accusations, the Election Commission has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are distributing enumeration forms door-to-door. This process has drawn criticism from the opposition.
The Election Commission has clarified that voters need to fill out the enumeration form and submit it with relevant documents to address issues of fake voters and include new voters. The Election Commission has asserted that no eligible voter will be excluded from this program.
Voters who receive the form from BLOs must provide details such as name, photo, address, EPIC number, Aadhaar number, date of birth, mobile number, and information about their parents. This information can also be filled online. This process was last conducted in Bihar in 2003. Those born before July 1, 1987, must provide a valid document to establish their date or place of birth.
The INDIA alliance is displeased with the Election Commission’s decision. The voter list revision is scheduled to continue until July 29. The opposition has demanded an immediate halt to the commission’s decision. The INDIA alliance may approach the Election Commission soon. Controversy surrounds the voter list in Bihar before the elections.
Tejashwi Yadav, former Deputy Chief Minister, alleged that this exercise aims to disenfranchise a large number of people by requesting documents that few possess, particularly marginalized communities such as Dalits, Muslims, and the backward classes.
AICC Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera stated that this is an open conspiracy, a robbery. This robbery is not just against the voters of Bihar but against their rights, their identity, and their citizenship. This is a conspiracy to eliminate the existence of the people of Bihar.