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No change in rules, says EC amid voter roll row in state | Patna News - Times of India

Patna: Amid mounting criticism from opposition parties, the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday clarified that there has been no change in the instructions governing the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and that the existing rules continue to apply.Releasing an official statement, the EC reiterated that the SIR process is being carried out as per its June 24 guidelines. It said the names of electors who submit enumeration forms by July 25 will be included in the draft electoral rolls due for publication on Aug 1.Importantly, it added that the absence of documents will not automatically disqualify applicants. "If any document is found deficient after publication of the draft electoral rolls, electoral registration officers (EROs) may obtain it from the elector during the scrutiny period," the EC said.The clarification came as the poll body faces allegations of attempting to disenfranchise voters, particularly migrant workers, by demanding documents that many may not possess. Opposition parties have accused the EC of carrying out the SIR exercise without providing adequate time or awareness to the public.Earlier in the day, the EC had issued an advertisement in newspapers urging voters to submit enumeration forms without delay. It stated, "If you provide the necessary documents, it will be easier for the EROs to process your application. If you don't, the EROs will decide on your application based on local inquiry and other documents."The advertisement clarified that even in the absence of documents or photographs, voters must still submit the forms to their BLOs to ensure their names remain on the voters' list. It also stated that electors who were already on the rolls as of 1 January 2003 are exempt from submitting supporting documents.However, the opposition Congress strongly criticised the EC's approach, alleging that it could lead to large-scale deletion of names. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the EC of misleading the public and changing its position under pressure. "Forcibly depriving the poor, Dalits, backwards, and marginalised from voting is the conspiracy of the BJP-RSS. Correcting the electoral roll is the EC's job, not the voter's," he said.Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar said, "On one hand, the EC says only the form is required; on the other, it mentions local inquiries. This smacks of a larger conspiracy. If the final decision rests with EROs, won't the BJP-JD(U) govt manipulate the process?"According to Sunday's release, the EC has so far received 1,69,49,208 enumeration forms -- 21.46% of the total 7.89 crore enrolled electors in Bihar as of June 24. In the preceding 24 hours alone, over 65 lakh forms were submitted. There are still 19 days left for submission and uploading of forms is also underway with 7.25% already uploaded.The EC added that electors can download partially filled forms from its portal or through the ECINET App. Completed forms can also be uploaded via the app by the electors themselves.On the ground, 77,895 booth level officers (BLOs) are engaged in door-to-door visits to assist electors in filling and submitting forms. In many cases, BLOs are taking live photographs of voters and uploading them directly to the portal. An additional 20,603 BLOs have been deployed to ensure the process runs smoothly.The EC said nearly four lakh volunteers, including govt officials, NCC cadets, NSS members and others, are helping elderly, ill and vulnerable voters complete the process. The operation is being coordinated by 239 electoral registration officers across all 243 assembly constituencies, 963 assistant EROs, 38 district election officers and the state chief electoral officer. Also, 1,54,977 booth level agents appointed by political parties are supporting the exercise.Patna: Amid mounting criticism from opposition parties, the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday clarified that there has been no change in the instructions governing the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and that the existing rules continue to apply.Releasing an official statement, the EC reiterated that the SIR process is being carried out as per its June 24 guidelines. It said the names of electors who submit enumeration forms by July 25 will be included in the draft electoral rolls due for publication on Aug 1.Importantly, it added that the absence of documents will not automatically disqualify applicants. "If any document is found deficient after publication of the draft electoral rolls, electoral registration officers (EROs) may obtain it from the elector during the scrutiny period," the EC said.The clarification came as the poll body faces allegations of attempting to disenfranchise voters, particularly migrant workers, by demanding documents that many may not possess. Opposition parties have accused the EC of carrying out the SIR exercise without providing adequate time or awareness to the public.Earlier in the day, the EC had issued a full-page advertisement in newspapers urging voters to submit enumeration forms without delay. It stated, "If you provide the necessary documents, it will be easier for the EROs to process your application. If you don't, the EROs will decide on your application based on local inquiry and other documents."The advertisement clarified that even in the absence of documents or photographs, voters must still submit the forms to their BLOs to ensure their names remain on the voters' list. It also stated that electors who were already on the rolls as of 1 January 2003 are exempt from submitting supporting documents.However, the opposition Congress strongly criticised the EC's approach, alleging that it could lead to large-scale deletion of names. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the EC of misleading the public and changing its position under pressure. "Forcibly depriving the poor, Dalits, backwards, and marginalised from voting is the conspiracy of the BJP-RSS. Correcting the electoral roll is the EC's job, not the voter's," he said.Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar said, "On one hand, the EC says only the form is required; on the other, it mentions local inquiries. This smacks of a larger conspiracy. If the final decision rests with EROs, won't the BJP-JD(U) govt manipulate the process?"According to Sunday's release, the EC has so far received 1,69,49,208 enumeration forms -- 21.46% of the total 7.89 crore enrolled electors in Bihar as of June 24. In the preceding 24 hours alone, over 65 lakh forms were submitted. There are still 19 days left for submission and uploading of forms is also underway with 7.25% already uploaded.The EC added that electors can download partially filled forms from its portal or through the ECINET App. Completed forms can also be uploaded via the app by the electors themselves.On the ground, 77,895 booth level officers (BLOs) are engaged in door-to-door visits to assist electors in filling and submitting forms. In many cases, BLOs are taking live photographs of voters and uploading them directly to the portal. An additional 20,603 BLOs have been deployed to ensure the process runs smoothly.The EC said nearly four lakh volunteers, including govt officials, NCC cadets, NSS members and others, are helping elderly, ill and vulnerable voters complete the process. The operation is being coordinated by 239 electoral registration officers across all 243 assembly constituencies, 963 assistant EROs, 38 district election officers and the state chief electoral officer. Also, 1,54,977 booth level agents appointed by political parties are supporting the exercise.

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