Election Commission publishes names of 65 lakh deleted voters in Bihar draft roll
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has published the names of 65 lakh voters excluded from Bihar’s draft electoral rolls on the websites of district magistrates, following a directive from the Supreme Court.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar announced on Sunday that the details were uploaded within 56 hours of the top court’s order, which had called for greater transparency in the revision process.
Last week, the Supreme Court, while hearing petitions challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls, directed the EC to disclose the list of deleted names along with reasons for non-inclusion.
Addressing a press conference, Kumar stressed that India’s election system for parliament and assembly polls is “a multi-layered, decentralised construct as envisaged by law.”
He explained that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who are sub-divisional magistrate-level officials, are responsible for preparing and finalising the electoral rolls with assistance from Booth Level Officers (BLOs). “EROs and BLOs undertake the responsibility for the correctness of Electoral Rolls,” he said.
According to EC guidelines, both digital and physical copies of draft rolls are shared with political parties and made available on the commission’s website. After publication, citizens and political parties have a full month to file claims and objections before the final rolls are issued.
In Bihar, the draft electoral rolls were released on August 1 and will remain open until September 1 for claims and objections, during which time parties and individuals can request inclusion of eligible voters or exclusion of ineligible names.
Defending the SIR, the CEC also criticised attempts to cast doubt on the process. “It is a matter of grave concern that some parties were spreading ‘misinformation’ on the exercise,” Kumar said.
