Bihar's Voter List Draft Set for Release Amid Controversy

Bihar's Voter List Draft to be Released Soon

Ahead of the publication of the voter list format, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has reassured voters in Bihar that all voters and political parties will be invited to submit claims and objections from August 1 to September 1. So far, only a small fraction of the 7.23 crore applicants have submitted documents to prove their eligibility, with the draft of Bihar's voter list expected to be released on Friday.

The Election Commission (EC) is set to publish the draft of the voter list following a month-long Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which is crucial before the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The process for claims and objections will commence simultaneously and will continue until September 1. During this period, voters who believe their names have been incorrectly removed can reach out to the relevant authorities for resolution.

According to the Election Commission, there were 7.93 crore registered voters in the state before the SIR began at the end of last month. However, the opposition has criticized this process, raising concerns about the potential mass removal of voters' names. In the first phase of the SIR, voters received enumeration forms either from booth-level officers (BLOs) or designated booth-level agents (BLAs) from political parties.

Voters were required to return the forms with their signatures and acceptable proof of identity attached. They also had the option to download and submit these enumeration forms online, with the process concluding by July 25. The Election Commission reported that 7.23 crore voters submitted their enumeration forms, while 35 lakh voters had permanently migrated or could not be located.

Additionally, the commission noted that 22 lakh individuals had passed away, and seven lakh were found to be registered in multiple voter lists. The commission also claimed that 1.2 lakh voters did not submit enumeration forms. Critics of this process argue that it is designed to benefit the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming elections.