Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday appreciated the voters of Bihar for their enthusiastic participation in the current Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, calling correct and up-to-date voter lists the key to the health of a democracy.
Addressing a gathering of booth-level officers in Bihar, Kumar pointed out that the SIR exercise had already made considerable headway, with more than 57% of enumeration forms successfully retrieved. The campaign has 16 days left, which emphasizes robust voter turnout.
"The Election Commission of India was, is and will always be with the electors of India," Kumar said, reiterating the commitment of the Commission to ensuring that all eligible citizens are correctly represented.
He insisted that having "clean" electoral rolls is an absolute prerequisite for democratic power and transparency.
His.observation comes in the backdrop of political outrage over the timing and intent of the voter list up-gradation. Several opposition parties have protested, raising questions over the reasons for holding the SIR only a few months ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls. These parties have approached the Supreme Court with petitions, stating that the up-gradation may affect the voting process in any way.
The Election Commission has defended its decision, noting that this is the first such revision in over two decades. According to the Commission, the process aims to weed out ineligible and duplicate entries while ensuring the inclusion of new, eligible voters — all in compliance with the law.
On Monday, the Supreme Court consented to hear a group of petitions pertaining to the SIR on July 10. The petitioners include key leaders from various opposition parties, including the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar group), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Samajwadi Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, CPI, and CPI(ML). The collective plea questions the Election Commission's timing and order to conduct the revision prior to elections being conducted in the state later this year.
In spite of the legal battle, the Commission asserts that the SIR is a valid and essential exercise to ensure electoral integrity in Bihar.
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