Election Commission Emphasizes 15-Day Window Before Bihar Assembly Elections; Urges Public and Political Parties to Actively Rectify Voter List Errors
Patna. Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission has emphasized a crucial 15-day window for correcting errors in the voter list. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated in a press conference that all political parties and citizens should utilize this time to rectify any shortcomings in the voter list. He repeatedly appealed for everyone's cooperation in this process, emphasizing that it is everyone's duty.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders have alleged rigging in the elections and irregularities in the voter list. Led by Rahul Gandhi, opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of vote theft and adding fraudulent voters. In response, the Election Commission clarified that all allegations would be investigated under legal procedures and regulations.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Process
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has commenced in Bihar before the elections. The Chief Election Commissioner explained that under SIR, a form is sent to every voter to confirm their name, address, and other details. A similar process was successful in 2003. This time, over 7 crore forms have been received back.
The Election Commission stated that the purpose of this process is to rectify the voter list before the elections. It is not possible to make corrections after the election. For this, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st can be considered as base dates. This time July was chosen because October was too close to the election and April was too far away.
Information on 2.2 Million Deceased Voters
The Chief Election Commissioner stated that during the SIR, the names of 2.2 million deceased individuals were removed from the voter list. The reason behind this is that previously, forms were not sent to every household during voter list updates. Therefore, the BLO (Booth Level Officer) did not receive information about a person's death, and the deceased's name remained on the list.
In SIR, forms are sent to every household. This results in accurate data, and the names of deceased voters can be removed.
Demand for Affidavit from Rahul Gandhi
The Election Commission clarified that Rahul Gandhi must submit an affidavit regarding his allegations within seven days or apologize to the nation. Failure to do so will result in his allegations being deemed baseless. There is a 45-day period to file a complaint about election irregularities. The complainant can only register a complaint by filling out Form 6.
After 45 days, submitting an affidavit is necessary for any complaint. Otherwise, it will only be considered a political statement.
1.6 Lakh BLOs Prepared the Draft List
The Election Commission stated that a total of 1.6 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLA) in Bihar have prepared the draft list. This list was created at every booth and verified by agents from all political parties. Voters have registered a total of 28,370 claims and objections.
