“Political Parties Did Not Raise Objections in Time”: EC on Voter List
The Election Commission clarifies that political parties were involved in the Bihar voter list revision; seeks apology from Rahul Gandhi over 'vote theft' allegations.
- The Election Commission defended the voter list revision in Bihar, stating political parties were involved at all stages.
- It claimed that the parties did not raise objections at the appropriate time.
- The EC has sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his “voter theft” allegations.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th Aug: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday defended its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, clarifying that political parties are involved at every stage of the process. The EC’s statement comes amid strong criticism from Opposition parties, who allege the move could disenfranchise crores of eligible citizens.
The poll body stated that physical and digital copies of draft electoral rolls, along with a complete list of all proposed deletions, were provided to all political parties in Bihar since July 20. The EC noted that a one-month period was given for filing claims and objections, but Opposition parties “did not examine the Electoral Rolls at the appropriate time” or “through the right channels,” as most objections were sent in bulk rather than individually.
The EC is also facing “vote theft” charges from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who claimed that a “collusion” between the poll body and the BJP resulted in the 2024 Lok Sabha election outcome. The EC has demanded that Gandhi provide an undertaking backing his allegations or apologize, but he has refused, stating the data came from the EC itself.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has directed the EC to publish online the list of over 65 lakh voters proposed for deletion during the SIR exercise, along with the reasons for their removal, to ensure transparency. In response to the controversy, Rahul Gandhi will begin his ‘Vote Adhikaar Yatra’ from Sasaram, Bihar, on August 17.
