Firozabad: With opposition parties voicing concern on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said on Saturday that almost every political party had complained about the voters’ list being inaccurate and stressed it was necessary to update it before elections under the law.
The Congress and other INDIA bloc parties have questioned the intent and the timing of the revision of the voters’ list, claiming that the exercise carries the risk of willful exclusion of voters using the state machinery.
Gyanesh Kumar, who was replying to queries from reporters in Firozabad, rejected allegations of overlooking concerns of the opposition, asserting that the poll panel maintains regular dialogue with political parties and 5,000 such meetings have been held in the past four months, beginning from the assembly level.
The CEC, who was here to attend a private programme, was asked about RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav raising questions on the voters’ list revision.
“Under the Representation of People Act, it is necessary to update the voter list before every election. In Bihar, on 1 January 2003, a thorough revision of the voter list was done. At that time, the eligibility of the people whose names appeared in the voter list was checked....
“Such a thorough examination was not done in Bihar after 1 January 2003.... the Election Commission had decided that it would continuously coordinate with the political parties. In this sequence, almost every political party complained about the voter list being incorrect and every time they said that the voter list should be rectified.
“Therefore, this time in Bihar, just like in 2002, within a month between July and August, the enumeration forms will be distributed and taken back,” he said.
The CEC said the exercise is going on very smoothly and all political parties are cooperating in this.
“More than one lakh booth-level officers are engaged. More than 1.5 lakh booth-level agents have been nominated by political parties and all are doing this work honestly and hard,” he said.
The CEC said the exercise will be conducted in a transparent manner and “every eligible citizen will be a part” of the voters’ list.
Kumar also stressed that people whose names were on the voters’ list as on January 1, 2003, don’t have to submit documents of birth for themselves or for their children when they are enrolled as voters.