Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision: Key Changes and Implications

Overview of the Electoral Roll Revision in Bihar

The Election Commission has initiated a "special intensive revision" of the electoral rolls in Bihar. As of now, there are 7.89 crore registered voters in the state, out of which 4.96 crore individuals who were already listed as of January 1, 2003, will only need to complete and submit a new enumeration form.

Conversely, the remaining 2.93 crore voters, approximately 37% of the total, whose names were absent from the voter list following the last revision in 2003, will be required to provide proof of their eligibility.

This special revision was announced on June 24 by the Election Commission, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for later this year. The need for this review arises from factors such as rapid urbanization, frequent migration, new voters, unreported deaths, and the inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants.

For the first time since the last revision in 2003, the Election Commission has acknowledged the presence of undocumented migrants on the electoral rolls in Bihar.

As part of this process, individuals not listed in the 2003 voter list must submit proof of their eligibility. Voters born before July 1, 1987, are required to provide evidence of their date and place of birth. Those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must submit documentation verifying the date and place of birth of their parents, while individuals born after December 2, 2004, need to provide proof of birth for both parents.

The Election Commission emphasized that according to Article 326 of the Constitution, only Indian citizens aged 18 and above who are ordinary residents in the relevant constituency are eligible to vote.

In a press release, the Election Commission stated that the special intensive revision is progressing successfully in Bihar, with full participation from all political parties. Currently, there are 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in place, with plans to appoint an additional 20,603 BLOs for new polling stations.

Moreover, over one lakh volunteers will assist genuine electors, particularly the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups during this revision process.

All recognized political parties registered with the Election Commission have appointed 154,977 booth level agents, with the option to appoint more if needed.

Following the announcement of the electoral roll revision on June 24, several political parties expressed their concerns. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently claimed that this revision poses a greater threat than the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Banerjee suggested that while the exercise is initiated in Bihar, its true aim is West Bengal, particularly targeting its migrant workers. She urged the Election Commission to function as an independent body rather than a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled for next year, and Banerjee accused the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise young citizens through this revision. She questioned whether this was a step towards establishing the NRC.

Banerjee referred to the updated NRC published by the Assam government in August 2019, which aimed to distinguish Indian citizens from undocumented immigrants. This process required residents to prove their or their ancestors' entry into Assam before midnight on March 24, 1971.

In this exercise, over 19 lakh individuals, or 5.77% of applicants, were excluded from the final list.

The Congress party also criticized the Election Commission's new guidelines, labeling them as a "clear and explicit admission" that there are issues with India's electoral rolls.