Bihar Voter List Revision Process Becoming More Puzzling: Congress Leader Chidambaram Remains Intrigued
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has sparked controversy and political unrest, with opposition parties protesting the exercise during the Monsoon Parliamentary sessions. The controversy has been fuelled by allegations that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is abusing its powers and attempting to change the electoral character of states, particularly in Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has expressed concern over reports of "adding" 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu, which he considers patently illegal. Chidambaram finds the Bihar voter revision exercise to be getting curiouser and curiouser. He has questioned why migrant workers should not return to Bihar or their home state to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do.
Chidambaram has labelled the term "permanently migrated" an insult to migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice. He argues that the migrant worker's family has a permanent home in Bihar, and the worker is not "permanently migrated" to Tamil Nadu.
The opposition alleges that the ECI's exercise is aimed at "disenfranchising voters" in Bihar. They claim that the SIR is an attempt to manipulate voter demographics ahead of forthcoming elections. Politically, these allegations have been strongly contested, with calls for parliamentary debates and a polarized dispute over the integrity of electoral management in Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
The Election Commission has officially denied these accusations, stating that the reports of mass voter additions in Tamil Nadu are false and that the SIR has not yet started in Tamil Nadu. The EC has accused political actors of deliberately spreading false information to disrupt the electoral roll revision process.
Legally, while no specific court cases or judicial actions have yet been noted, the call for a legal challenge indicates the potential for litigation to contest the ECI's procedures and decisions regarding voter roll revisions. Such challenges would likely focus on whether the SIR complies with electoral laws and safeguards against disenfranchisement or improper voter additions.
In summary, the legal implications involve potential judicial scrutiny of ECI's electoral roll revision process to ensure legality and fairness, while politically this has ignited opposition protests, calls for parliamentary debate, and a polarized dispute over the integrity of electoral management in Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The ECI maintains that its actions are lawful and necessary, contrasting sharply with opposition allegations of power abuse and electoral manipulation.
[Article written by Md Asghar Khan and published by Outlook News Desk]
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- Despite the Election Commission's denial of allegations, the opposition continues to question the 'policy-and-legislation' surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, particularly in states like Bihar and Tamil Nadu, expressing concerns about potential 'disenfranchisement' and 'manipulation' of voter demographics.
- The ongoing controversy over the SIR has led to a surge in 'general-news', with senior political figures like P Chidambaram calling for legal challenges and parliamentary debates to scrutinize the electoral roll revision process, ensuring it upholds 'health' and fairness, and safeguards the right to vote.
