Concerns arise over disenfranchisement as 47 lakh voters are removed from Bihar’s electoral rolls
In Bihar, the final electoral roll published by the Election Commission revealed the exclusion of at least 47 lakh voters following a special intensive revision of the list. This revision has sparked concerns regarding the potential disenfranchisement of many eligible voters. The updated electoral list is available on the Election Commission’s website, where individuals can check their names or download the rolls by Assembly segments.
The revision process was announced by the Election Commission on June 24, ahead of the anticipated Assembly elections scheduled for October or November. As part of this exercise, individuals whose names were not included in the 2003 voter list were required to submit proof of their eligibility to vote. A draft of the revised rolls was published on August 1, allowing a period for claims and objections from both individuals and political parties until September 1.
Initially, the draft rolls listed approximately 7.2 crore electors. However, the final list saw the removal of 65.6 lakh names. According to the Election Commission, this removal included around 22 lakh individuals who had passed away, 36 lakh who had either permanently relocated or were untraceable, and seven lakh entries that were duplicates.
The voter roll revision has faced legal scrutiny, with several petitioners approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the process. Earlier this month, the court ruled that the Election Commission should accept Aadhaar cards as valid proof of identity during this revision. The Aadhaar card had previously been excluded from the list of acceptable documents for establishing citizenship, which led to objections from various petitioners who deemed this exclusion as unreasonable.
The Supreme Court has cautioned that the entire revision exercise could be invalidated if found to be unlawful. The next hearing regarding this matter is scheduled for October 7, leaving the process in a state of uncertainty.
In defense of the revision, the Election Commission has characterized it as a necessary clean-up operation aimed at eliminating names of deceased individuals, duplicate entries, and undocumented migrants in preparation for the upcoming elections. An analysis of the data released on August 1 indicated that women constituted 55% of those excluded from Bihar’s draft voter list following the revision.
Furthermore, the analysis highlighted that five of the ten districts in Bihar with the largest Muslim populations had the highest rates of voter exclusion. This raises additional questions about the fairness and transparency of the revision process, as it could disproportionately affect certain demographic groups.
As the situation unfolds, concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process and the potential impact on voter participation remain at the forefront of discussions among political parties and civil society alike.
