Despite ongoing protests and strong opposition, political parties in Bihar have deployed approximately 56,000 agents to oversee the special intensive revision (SIR) of the state's electoral roll. This move comes amidst concerns that the revision exercise could lead to mass disenfranchisement and is a "conspiracy" to deprive electors of their voting rights.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. This exercise requires a large section of the voting population to produce documents establishing their date and place of birth, as well as those of their parents if they were born after 1987. The commission says the revision addresses issues such as rapid urbanization, migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths, and the inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants.
The opposition parties in Bihar have united to protest the ECI's directive for this intensive electoral roll revision, with some leaders terming it a "backdoor" implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). They argue that the 25-day deadline for verifying approximately 8 crore voters is unrealistic and could disproportionately affect the poor and marginalized. Some have also questioned the timing of the exercise, which is taking place just months before the upcoming state elections. Concerns have been raised about the potential for large-scale deletion of genuine voters, especially the young, the poor, and those who are frequently mobile.
To streamline the process, the ECI has printed nearly 160 million pre-filled enumeration forms, each containing unique QR codes to prevent errors. The commission has also deployed over 100,000 volunteers to assist vulnerable groups, including the elderly, disabled, and poor. Furthermore, recognized political parties have appointed over 154,000 booth-level agents to help with voter education. The BJP has the highest number of booth level agents.
The ECI has clarified that residents can submit enumeration forms without documentary proof during the draft stage. However, individuals whose names were not recorded in the 2003 electoral rolls must provide documents to prove their eligibility to vote. The commission has stated that the exercise is not a "de-novo exercise," meaning they are not creating a brand-new roll from scratch.
Despite the opposition's concerns, the ECI maintains that the revision is necessary to maintain the integrity of the electoral rolls and ensure that only eligible citizens are able to vote. The commission has also emphasized its commitment to ensuring that all activities are proceeding according to schedule. The poll panel has also appealed to and advised political parties with a substantial presence in Bihar “to appoint their workers as BLAs in all polling stations now rather than finding faults with the electoral rolls later, particularly after the poll process is completed”.
