'How Can We Allow Fake Voters?' Poll Body Chief On Bihar Voter List Revision

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has issued a strong defence of the Centre-backed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, dismissing opposition allegations of voter suppression.

"The Constitution of India is the mother of India's democracy. Fearing these things, the Election Commission, being misled by such people, pave the way for such people to cast fake votes in the name of dead voters, permanently migrated voters, voters who have cast their votes in two places, fake voters or foreign voters, first in Bihar, then in the whole country," Mr Kumar said. 

Mr Kumar's remarks come amid criticism from opposition parties who have accused the poll body and the Centre of deliberately timing the voter list revision to disenfranchise specific voter groups ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in Bihar.

According to data released by the Election Commission on Wednesday, 56 lakh names have been marked for deletion from Bihar's voter rolls. The 56 lakh names include 20 lakh dead voters, 28 lakh who have moved permanently to another state, 7 lakh individuals registered in more than one location and 1 lakh uncontactable voters.

In addition, 15 lakh people failed to return voter verification forms distributed during the ongoing process, placing them at risk of being excluded from the final roll.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions challenging the revision. The Court has instructed the Election Commission to ensure that the process is open to appeals and hearings before the final list is published. It has also taken note of the fact that documents like Aadhaar and Voter ID were reportedly not accepted as proof during the revision process.