Even as the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has triggered a political row, with opposition parties alleging that the exercise is aimed at leaving out a huge chunk of voters — several of them either migrants or from backward communities — around 52 lakh of the state’s electorate face the possibility of being omitted from the voter list.AdvertisementAccording to figures released by the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday, as many as 52,30,126 Bihar voters, who constitute 6.62 per cent of the state’s electorate, have not been found at their addresses even as the SIR is nearing its end on July 25.Of them, 18,66,869 — 2.36 per cent of the voters — have been reported as dead, while 26,01,031 (3.29 per cent) are reported to have shifted permanently. Besides, 7,50,742 voters have been found to be enrolled at multiple places, while 11,484 voters are not traceable. All these figures add up to a whopping 52,30,126 voters, who face the possibility of getting deleted from the electoral rolls of Bihar.The poll body, however, said “as per the SIR order, dated June 24, from August 1 to September 1, a full month will be available to any member of the public to file objections for any addition, deletion and rectification in the draft electoral rolls”.The EC said in the ongoing SIR, efforts had been made to ensure that all eligible electors were included in the draft electoral roll, to be published on August 1.“The entire election machinery, including nearly one lakh BLOs, four lakh volunteers and 1.5 lakh BLAs appointed by the district presidents of all 12 major political parties in Bihar, is working together to look for electors who are yet to submit their enumeration forms or have not been found at their addresses,” the EC said in a statement on Tuesday.After the completion of the entire process, the final roll will be published on September 30, the poll body said, adding that even after its publication, new voters could be enrolled up to the last date of nominations.The EC has claimed that the SIR is being done ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar as part of its constitutional duty.In the Supreme Court, where the matter is pending, the commission has argued that the entire process is being conducted in a consistent and jurisdictional manner.
52 lakh Bihar voters face ouster from list; not found at addresses during SIR
