Amidst the controversy surrounding the voter list revision in Bihar, the Election Commission has highlighted the importance of universal adult suffrage by citing Article 326. The commission has assured a transparent process, using the 2003 list as a basis.
Bihar: Preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar are in full swing, but a political storm has erupted over the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls. While the opposition is accusing the government of population-based discrimination in this process, the Election Commission, amidst this controversy, shared Article 326 of the Constitution on social media, reminding everyone that the right to vote in India is based on universal adult suffrage—not on the basis of religion, caste, or place of birth.
Chief Election Commissioner, Gynesh Kumar, has clarified that this revision process is for including all eligible citizens in the voter list, not for excluding anyone. He also stated that the 2003 voter list will be made public on the commission's website, making it easier to access old records.
Rising Political Temperature in Bihar
Assembly elections in the state are likely in October-November, and in the meantime, the Election Commission's announcement of the voter list revision has come under fire from the opposition. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav have called it a 'conspiracy to divide the people in the name of census'. Opposition parties also called for a Bihar bandh, during which protests and rallies were seen in several districts.
Election Commission's Clarification
Chief Election Commissioner Gynesh Kumar said, "Our objective is not to exclude anyone but to include every person who is a citizen of India and is 18 years of age or older." He also added that the 2003 voter list will be considered a reliable basis. Those whose names are in that list or whose parents' names are recorded in it will be considered primarily eligible voters.
What is Article 326?
The post shared by the Election Commission includes a full explanation of Article 326. According to this article: 'Elections to the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of the States shall be on the basis of adult suffrage, that is to say, every citizen who is not less than eighteen years of age shall be entitled to vote at such election.' This article is the soul of Indian democracy because it ensures that no one can be deprived of the right to vote on the basis of religion, caste, gender, language, region, etc.
Why is the 2003 list special?
The Election Commission stated that the 2003 voter list will be digitally scanned and uploaded to the website. This list includes the names of approximately 4.96 crore people. The commission says that this list will also serve as proof for those whose parents' names are recorded in it. Such people will only have to submit documents proving their place and date of birth. This will make the process transparent and simple.
Opposition's Allegations and Apprehensions
The opposition alleges that through this process, the government is planning to exclude people from specific communities from the voter list. Tejashwi Yadav said, "The Election Commission is working under the pressure of the government. This is not a voter list revision but a conspiracy to deprive selected sections of the population of their right to vote." Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned why 2003 was chosen as the base year. He said that this year is after the BJP came to power and that its selection indicates a pre-determined political intent.
Election Commission's Emphasis on Transparency
The Election Commission, refuting the opposition's allegations, has said that this process will be completely transparent and with the participation of the people. This process of updating the voter list is not new. Revision and revision of the voter list before every election is a regular practice. The Chief Election Commissioner also clarified that no citizen will be asked for a citizenship certificate, only documents related to date of birth and parent identification will be sufficient.
