Bengal Real Target Of Voter List Revision: Trinamool MP Sagarika Ghose To NDTV

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections is an "exclusionary and not an inclusionary" exercise, Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose said, as she accused the Election Commission (EC) of trying to "disenfranchise" and harass the citizens.

Speaking to NDTV, the Rajya Sabha MP also alleged a conspiracy and said the exercise is being held mainly to target voters in West Bengal that also goes to the polls early next year. "We are going to oppose this tooth and nail in Bengal because we feel that Bengal is the real target. It is being done in Bihar but the real target is Bengal," she said.

Ms Ghose's remarks came amid a political row over the poll body's exercise, with the Opposition calling it a "gimmick" and an attempt to disenfranchise poor voters. The EC, however, said the exercise follows a transparent process and is laying down the "foundation stone for fair elections and a strong democracy". 

"We are opposed to this SIR exercise of the Election Commission on multiple levels. We oppose it on the basis of principle, we oppose it on the basis of the Constitution because its focus is on exclusion and not inclusion. SIR is an exclusionary exercise and not an inclusionary exercise," Ms Ghose said.

She alleged the exercise is "forcing citizens to undergo citizenship tests". "Is the EC trying to clean up electoral rolls or trying to create a voter or a citizenship register. Establishing citizenship and establishing a citizenship register is not the job of the Election Commission," she said.

"The EC is not here to decide who is a citizen and who is not. It is only mandated to clean up the electoral rolls and to ensure the sanctity of the electoral rolls. When citizens are producing every proof of their citizenship, how can they be excluded from these electoral rolls?" she asked.

The Trinamool lawmaker also slammed the poll body for not accepting Aadhaar cards as a standalone document to prove eligibility for voter registration. "All this while, the EC has been focusing on linking the Aadhaar card. Suddenly under the SIR, the EC is saying Aadhaar is no longer sufficient proof of citizenship? Then why were you screaming Aadhaar for the last decade? This is another flaw in the SIR," she said. 

"On a practical level, this is a completely misguided exercise. It is basically an exercise to disenfranchise the poorest and it is against the basic structure of the Constitution because it is snatching away the right to vote," she added.

In a 789-page affidavit filed before the Supreme Court recently, the poll body said while Aadhaar is proof of identity, it is not valid proof of Indian citizenship or residence - essential requirements for voter eligibility under Article 326 of the Constitution. New Aadhaar cards issued after January 2024 also state that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.

Ms Ghose alleged the poll exercise is being carried out primarily to target voters in West Bengal. Slamming the "nasty politics" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she said: "The BJP has lost two elections in Bengal, in 2021 and 2024, and now this is just a conspiracy by the BJP acting through the Election Commission to take away the right to vote from lakhs of Bengal voters. This is a concerted attempt by the BJP to take away the right to vote from the voters of Bihar and Bengal and they are going to do this across the country," she said.

"The EC is not being transparent about this procedure," she added. 

Amid concerns that a similar voter list revision is likely to be carried out in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she will not allow such an exercise in the state.

The Supreme Court has also raised "serious doubts" over the poll body's management of the revision exercise. "Your exercise is not the problem... it is the timing. We have serious doubts if you can manage this exercise. With such a big population (an estimated eight crore people) being subject to this 'intensive review', is it possible to link this to the forthcoming election?" it asked the poll body earlier this month.

On Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar strongly defended the exercise and asked if the poll body can come under influence and allow the dead, those who have migrated permanently or have registered themselves as electors at multiple places be included in the voters' list.

"Isn't a pure voter list being prepared by the Election Commission through a transparent process, the foundation for fair elections and a strong democracy?" he said.

He said the electoral roll revision in Bihar has weeded out 52 lakh voters who are dead or migrated, assuring that "all eligible electors are included in the draft electoral roll to be published on August 1".