- The special intensive revision (SIR) undertaken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Bihar has succeeded in garnering undue attention for various reasons. The undue haste showed by the ECI in pressing ahead with the endevour when the state assembly elections are a few months away was not lost on all concerned, especially the opposition parties. Bereft of tangible issues to corner the ruling dispensation at the Centre, the Grand Old Party of India led by the Scion saw an opportunity to target the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance crying foul of the whole process. The cry ‘Vote Chori’ started emanating from the Congress which was duly chorused by the other parties.
PC: CDJ Law Journal
- What should have been otherwise construed as a routine exercise before the key elections, the Congress saw the whole exercise as an effort to disenfranchise the eligible voters from Bihar. So much so that the Scion accused the ECI aiding the ruling dispensation at the Centre in diabolical manoeuvring to win the elections by eliminating eligible voters. Thus, the routine voter revision exercise became a bone of contention with unabated mudslinging taking centerstage. The ECI’s decision to remove lakhs of voters from the lists did only help in further exacerbating the situation. Thankfully, the Supreme Court told people in Bihar who were wrongly removed from voter lists to use their Aadhaar card to re-enroll.
PC: India Today
- However, just using Aadhaar won’t fix all the problems bogging the whole exercise. To get back on the voter list, people must fill a form called Form 6. It asks for your Aadhaar numbers, and if you don’t have one, you must tick a box saying so. Aadhaar is also used to prove your age and where you live. This is confusing because the ECI isn’t always clear about whether Aadhaar is required. The confusion is worse because the EC has arguments with political parties, who are important in running elections. Sometimes the EC says parties haven’t raised enough claims about voters being wrongly removed, but the parties say it’s hard.
PC: ThePrint
- Why? Because each voter needs a separate platform. With 65 lakh (6.5 million) people removed, it’s almost impossible to fix quickly. The EC also seems impatient with political parties, even though it’s the Commission’s job to make sure everyone can vote. Many people are busy with farming or dealing with floods, so they can’t always check the voter lists. As on date, only about 1.4 lakh claims had been received, and only 14,000 sorted out. Political parties have warned that rushing the voter list is a bad idea, especially before big elections. Needless to mention, in times like these, the EC’s job is very important. It needs to focus on making fair and accurate voter lists, not arguing with political parties.
