New Delhi, July 24: Amid mounting criticism from opposition parties, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar defended the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, questioning whether the poll body should allow names of the dead, permanently migrated, or duplicate entries to remain in voter lists.
Facing accusations from INDIA bloc leaders that the exercise aims to disenfranchise crores, Kumar said, “Isn’t a pure voter list being prepared through a transparent process the foundation for fair elections and a strong democracy?”
He stressed that retaining ineligible voters in Bihar — and eventually across the country — would violate constitutional principles. “On these questions, someday or the other, all of us and all the citizens of India will have to think deeply, going beyond political ideologies,” he noted.
As per data from ongoing field verification under SIR in Bihar, election officials have found over 52 lakh voters missing from their registered addresses, while another 18 lakh have been confirmed deceased.
The Opposition has staged protests in Parliament, alleging that the voter list clean-up could disproportionately affect certain communities and is politically motivated ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.
However, the EC maintains that the drive is in line with its constitutional mandate to ensure accurate and updated electoral rolls. The issue is expected to dominate debates in both Houses as political tempers rise. (Agencies)
