EC to opposition: Get ‘wrongfully excluded’ to file claims | India News

NEW DELHI: Brushing aside the allegation by opposition MPs Asaduddin Owaisi and Randeep Surjewala that the special intensive revision of electoral roll in Bihar is an exercise in disenfranchising minorities and precarious communities, the Election Commission on Wednesday asked them to get all such electors to file their claims and objections before Sept 1.“Mr Owaisi and Mr Surjewala should ensure that their state units and booth level agents (BLAs) facilitate those they complain have been wrongfully excluded to file their claims with the ERO to add them back in the electoral roll. Interestingly, even as the national party leaders have been complaining of alleged irregularities and imperfections in the roll, not a single claim or objection was filed by any of the 1.6 lakh party BLAs in the field, between publication of the roll on Aug 1 and 9 am on Wednesday,” said an EC official.On the other hand, 3,659 individual electors directly filed their claims and objections during this period. Another 19,186 newly-eligible electors have also filed pleas for fresh enrolment through Form 6, along with the mandatory declaration. EC on Wednesday said it is revising the Bihar roll as per the Constitution and the extant laws, and with full transparency. “Citizens are also aware that revision of electoral roll is mandatory before every election as per Section 21(2)(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960,” said the poll panel. While the opposition parties question the purpose of the SIR exercise, EC underlined that it has also led to Bihar becoming the first state in the country to limit the number of electors per booth to 1,200, which is expected to cut queues on polling day. EC said lists of electors reported by BLOs as dead, permanently shifted, having two votes and who could not be contacted after at least three visits of BLOs were shared with all political parties and their BLAs on or before July 20, giving them ample time to report any wrongful additions or deletions.