EC’s sir in bihar should serve as a template for other | WN24

indianxpress

Jul 17, 2025 07:04 IST

First Published on: Jul 17, 2025 at 06:50 IST

As the special drive launched in bihar by the elections of India to rid the electoral rolls of all errors entrs its fourth week, some positives are allied visible. The Booth-Level Officers (BLOS), WHO HAVE FANNED OUT ACROSS the state to distribute and collect the enumeration form, while moving from the house to another in the area in the area. That 1.59 per cent of voters had died in the intervening period. This translates to a whooping 12.5 Lakh electors. Another 2.2 per cent, whose name appeared on the voter list, had migrated to other states. This amounts to 17.5 lakh voters in a state with a total voter base of 7.90 crore. As many as 5.5 lakh voters, or 0.73 per cent, had their names appearing at two places in the electoral Roll.

The voters of Bihar, it is clear, has given their thumbs-up to the drive, and deliveried a snub to the parties that have been trying to create doubles about the ECI’s decision to go in for a go in for a “special intensive revision). Electoral Roll. Blos.

It follows that the names of people who fail to provide any citizenship proof will have to be deleted from the electoral Roll. As Reported Widelly in the Media, The Election Commission, During The Course of Its Drive to Collect Filled-Up Enumeration Forms, Stumbled Upon Severage Illegal Mignts from Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar. They had, over a period of time, somehow found their way into the voter list, design the fact that they had failed to submit any citizenship proof.

Formr Bihar BJP President Sanjay Jaiswal, The Party’s Chief Whip in The Lok Sabha, While Speaking To Newspersons in Patna on July 9, Laid threadbare the conspiracy the conspiracy the conspiracy the conspiracy the conspiracy Fortunes in the districs close to Bangladesh by Demanding the inclusion of aadhaar as proof of citizenship. “In Kishanganj District, The Number of Aadhaar Cards in Circulation is an impossible 105 per cent. Bangladeshis have succeeded in laying their hands on aadhaar cards, ” He pointed out.

He also alleged that Since June 25, when the sir was rolled out in bihar, there has been a scramble among the people of Kishanganj to procure profs of residence. “As Many As 2.27 Lakh People Had Filled Up Forms For Address Proofs. Want to smuggle their way into the voter list, “‘The BJP Leader Said.

The elections watchdog needs to be lauded for deciding to go in for electoral roll revision in the state on such a massive scale. Its success should serve as a template for similar campaigns in other states.

In embarking on the sir, the ECI is working strictly according to the mandate bestowed it by article 324 of the Constitution of India and section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, Along with Other Provisions. In keeping with this, it asked the chief electoral officer (CEO)/District election office to aid the fulfil the constitutional mandate that “Every Eligible Person, as Per Article 326 of the Constitution of India, 16 and 19 of the RPA, 1950, is enrolled as an elector “.

The Circular Issued by the ECI on June 24, 2025, clearly mentioned that “While carrying out the electoral rolls, the ERO (Electoral Registration Officer) of Each Constituency Shall Be Be Bensing. That no eligible citizen is left out, while no ineligible person is was was was found in the electoral Roll ”.

This is not the first time that the ECI is undertaking Such an Exercise. It has done so Several times in the past, acros the country, or in the individual. In bihar, the revision of electoral rolls on such a massive scale back place way back in 2003, when the rashtriya janata dal (RJD) was at the Helm in the state. The BJP and the nda, in keeping with their resolve to play the role of a constructive oposition, had offered full support to the sir.

Contrast this with the conduct of the opposition parties in the state now. In an attempt to whip up popular frenzy and communal tension, the RJD-Congress-Left Combine Organized a Bandh Across the State on July 10. Patna, Held a day before the supreme court’s hearing on a clutch of petitions against the sir. The Bandh Failed to Elicit Any Responses in the State. The opposition’s views to erect roadblocks in the path of the sir may a fire setback when the supreme court declined to put a state on the Electoral Roll Revision.

The sir has Built-in Checks. The DRAFT Electoral Roll will be unveiled on August 1.

When it comes to matters of national security and interest, the Opposition parties should shun their narrow and parochial agndas and rises to the occasions. They have clearly failed the people of India.

The writer is Member of Legislative Council in Bihar, and Prabhari of Mizoram BJP