NEW DELHI: A delegation of 11 opposition parties met the Election Commission on Wednesday and objected the ongoing intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar just months ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
The delegation dubbed the exercise as " Votebandi " and claimed that this will put democracy in the state "under threat"
Briefing the media after the meeting with the poll body, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the timing of the revision raised serious concerns.
“This exercise involves verifying over 7.75 crore voters in Bihar. With barely 2–3 months left for the assembly polls, such a massive exercise is neither practical nor fair,” he said, calling it a violation of the level playing field essential for free and fair elections.
Singhvi, accompanied by RJD MP Manoj Jha, CPM’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar, and others, said the delegation also expressed strong disapproval of the EC's new rule restricting the number of party representatives in such meetings. He said senior leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera were denied entry and made to wait outside.
“This kind of limitation on who can meet the Commission — capping it at two people including the party president — is unprecedented and arbitrary,” Singhvi said.
'Votebandi'
Calling the exercise as 'Votebandi,' Bhattacharya claimed that the Commission admitted that 20% of Bihar's voters reside outside the state, which effectively means they could lose their right to vote.
This is nothing less than 'votebandi' for Bihar," he said, comparing the exercise to the demonetisation, or 'notebandi', carried out in 2016.
"There seems to be a failure on our part to convince the Election Commission that one month is not enough for lakhs of voters to submit identification documents. Democracy in Bihar is under threat. A major people's movement is now necessary," he added.
Meeting 'not cordial'
RJD leader Jha said that the meeting with the poll body was "not cordial."
"We expressed our concern about the poor, backward classes in Bihar. We saw a lack of concern from the Election Commission," he said.
"Is this an effort to disenfranchise people? The 20 per cent Biharis who migrate outside the state are the target. If the purpose of an exercise becomes exclusion instead of inclusion, what should we do? Are you trying to find doubtful voters in Bihar?" he added.
'Concerns fully raised'
Sources, however told PTI that some of the participants were given an appointment and others were allowed to join in without any prior appointment, as the Commission decided to meet two representatives from every party.
They also said each concern raised by the parties was "fully addressed" by the Commission.
The poll body has taken up the mantle of weeding out foreign illegal migrants from the voting list of six states - starting from Bihar.
According to the poll body, it is part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
The poll panel reminded the constitutional provision that says only Indian citizens can vote. "The Constitution of India is supreme. All citizens, political parties, and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution," EC said in a statement.
The EC said the special revision has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with "full participation" of all political parties.
The poll panel already has nearly 78,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) and is appointing over 20,000 more for new polling stations, it said.
More than one lakh volunteers will be assisting genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, persons with disabilities, poor, and other vulnerable groups during the special intensive revision.
Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of the Electoral Roll on January 1, 2003, have to "simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it".
The delegation dubbed the exercise as " Votebandi " and claimed that this will put democracy in the state "under threat"
Briefing the media after the meeting with the poll body, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the timing of the revision raised serious concerns.
“This exercise involves verifying over 7.75 crore voters in Bihar. With barely 2–3 months left for the assembly polls, such a massive exercise is neither practical nor fair,” he said, calling it a violation of the level playing field essential for free and fair elections.
Singhvi, accompanied by RJD MP Manoj Jha, CPM’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar, and others, said the delegation also expressed strong disapproval of the EC's new rule restricting the number of party representatives in such meetings. He said senior leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera were denied entry and made to wait outside.
“This kind of limitation on who can meet the Commission — capping it at two people including the party president — is unprecedented and arbitrary,” Singhvi said.
'Votebandi'
Calling the exercise as 'Votebandi,' Bhattacharya claimed that the Commission admitted that 20% of Bihar's voters reside outside the state, which effectively means they could lose their right to vote.
This is nothing less than 'votebandi' for Bihar," he said, comparing the exercise to the demonetisation, or 'notebandi', carried out in 2016.
"There seems to be a failure on our part to convince the Election Commission that one month is not enough for lakhs of voters to submit identification documents. Democracy in Bihar is under threat. A major people's movement is now necessary," he added.
Meeting 'not cordial'
RJD leader Jha said that the meeting with the poll body was "not cordial."
"We expressed our concern about the poor, backward classes in Bihar. We saw a lack of concern from the Election Commission," he said.
"Is this an effort to disenfranchise people? The 20 per cent Biharis who migrate outside the state are the target. If the purpose of an exercise becomes exclusion instead of inclusion, what should we do? Are you trying to find doubtful voters in Bihar?" he added.
'Concerns fully raised'
Sources, however told PTI that some of the participants were given an appointment and others were allowed to join in without any prior appointment, as the Commission decided to meet two representatives from every party.
They also said each concern raised by the parties was "fully addressed" by the Commission.
The poll body has taken up the mantle of weeding out foreign illegal migrants from the voting list of six states - starting from Bihar.
According to the poll body, it is part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
The poll panel reminded the constitutional provision that says only Indian citizens can vote. "The Constitution of India is supreme. All citizens, political parties, and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution," EC said in a statement.
The EC said the special revision has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with "full participation" of all political parties.
The poll panel already has nearly 78,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) and is appointing over 20,000 more for new polling stations, it said.
More than one lakh volunteers will be assisting genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, persons with disabilities, poor, and other vulnerable groups during the special intensive revision.
Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of the Electoral Roll on January 1, 2003, have to "simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it".
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