NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Tuesday flagged major discrepancies in Bihar's electoral rolls revealed from its controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The ongoing survey, EC said, revealed that 18 lakh deceased electors, 26 lakh electors who had been shifted to different constituencies, and 7 lakh electors who had been enrolled at two places.
This came after the poll body justified its SIR exercise, which has been questioned by the Supreme Court and the opposition, saying that it added to the purity of the polls by "weeding out ineligible persons" from the electoral rolls.
"The SIR exercise adds to the purity of elections by weeding out ineligible persons from the electoral roll. The entitlement to vote flows from Article 326 read with Sections 16 and 19 of the RP Act 1950 and Section 62 of the RP Act 1951 which contains certain qualifications with respect to citizenship, age, and ordinary residency. An ineligible person has no right to vote, and thus, cannot claim a violation of Articles 19 and 21 in this regard," EC said in an affidavit.
"In addition to the legal concerns already articulated hereinabove, these documents are, in fact, already being considered by the Commission for the limited purpose of identity, during the SIR process," it added.
In its affidavit responding to a plea against the June 24 order mandating a nationwide SIR of the electoral roll beginning with Bihar, the Election Commission said that, despite legal concerns, documents like Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards were already being used in a limited capacity for identity verification during the SIR-2025 exercise.
"A bare perusal of the enumeration form issued under the SIR Order reveals that the Aadhaar number may be voluntarily furnished by a person furnishing the enumeration form. Such information is utilised for the purpose of identification, in accordance with Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 9 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016," it said.
The Supreme Court, on July 10, directed the EC to treat Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid identity documents during its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which is scheduled to hold elections later this year. The matter is slated for the next hearing on July 28.
This came after the poll body justified its SIR exercise, which has been questioned by the Supreme Court and the opposition, saying that it added to the purity of the polls by "weeding out ineligible persons" from the electoral rolls.
"The SIR exercise adds to the purity of elections by weeding out ineligible persons from the electoral roll. The entitlement to vote flows from Article 326 read with Sections 16 and 19 of the RP Act 1950 and Section 62 of the RP Act 1951 which contains certain qualifications with respect to citizenship, age, and ordinary residency. An ineligible person has no right to vote, and thus, cannot claim a violation of Articles 19 and 21 in this regard," EC said in an affidavit.
"In addition to the legal concerns already articulated hereinabove, these documents are, in fact, already being considered by the Commission for the limited purpose of identity, during the SIR process," it added.
In its affidavit responding to a plea against the June 24 order mandating a nationwide SIR of the electoral roll beginning with Bihar, the Election Commission said that, despite legal concerns, documents like Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards were already being used in a limited capacity for identity verification during the SIR-2025 exercise.
"A bare perusal of the enumeration form issued under the SIR Order reveals that the Aadhaar number may be voluntarily furnished by a person furnishing the enumeration form. Such information is utilised for the purpose of identification, in accordance with Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 9 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016," it said.
The Supreme Court, on July 10, directed the EC to treat Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid identity documents during its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which is scheduled to hold elections later this year. The matter is slated for the next hearing on July 28.
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