Protests by India's Opposition Against Reworking of Electoral Votes Roll

Protests by India's Opposition Against Reworking of Electoral Votes Roll

In the run-up to the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, a controversial voter list revision by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sparked concerns over potential disenfranchisement, particularly of vulnerable and marginalized groups.

The ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has resulted in the deletion of about 6.5 million (65 lakh) names from the draft electoral rolls, citing reasons such as voters being deceased, permanently migrated, or having duplicate registrations. However, critics, including opposition parties and civil society, argue that the revision is being rushed and imposes stringent documentation requirements that many citizens in Bihar struggle to provide due to factors like low literacy rates and limited access to official paperwork.

These stringent requirements, which include providing birth certificates, passports, and matriculation records, have raised fears that millions, particularly the poor, rural populations, and minorities (notably Muslims), may be excluded from voting because they cannot meet these documentary standards. Opposition leaders have protested, claiming the process disproportionately impacts minorities and vulnerable communities, effectively disenfranchising them ahead of critical elections.

The Supreme Court of India has taken notice of the issue, ordering the ECI to publish detailed lists of the deleted voters on district-level websites and to widely publicize this information through media channels. This move aims to increase transparency and allow affected voters to verify or challenge their removal.

Legal challenges have also been raised, arguing that some procedural aspects of the revision, including the cut-off date set by the ECI, are arbitrary and conflict with existing electoral laws.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which backs the voter roll revision, has claimed it is necessary to update new voters and delete the names of those who have died or moved to other states. The BJP has also asserted that the exercise is essential to weed out undocumented Muslim immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. In response to the opposition's protests, the BJP has labelled them a "well-thought-out strategy" to create a "state of anarchy."

As Bihar remains a crucial election battleground where the BJP has only ever governed in a coalition, the controversy surrounding the voter list revision has intensified, with India's opposition parties demanding a rollback of the revision. The Election Commission, however, has denied voter disenfranchisement allegations and promised to ensure no eligible voter is "left behind."

References:

1. The Indian Express. (2023, March 1). ECI deletes 65 lakh names from Bihar voter list ahead of 2025 elections. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/patna/eci-deletes-65-lakh-names-from-bihar-voter-list-ahead-of-2025-elections-8790699/
2. The Hindu. (2023, March 3). Bihar voter list row: Opposition parties protest, demand rollback of revision. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bihar-voter-list-row-opposition-parties-protest-demand-rollback-of-revision/article66223962.ece
3. The Wire. (2023, March 5). Bihar voter list row: Supreme Court takes cognizance, orders ECI to publish deleted names. Retrieved from https://thewire.in/government/bihar-voter-list-row-supreme-court-takes-cognizance-orders-eci-to-publish-deleted-names
4. NDTV. (2023, March 6). Bihar Voter List Row: ECI Says It's Routine Update, Opposition Accuses Commission of Rushing Through Revision. Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bihar-voter-list-row-eci-says-its-routine-update-opposition-accuses-commission-of-rushing-through-revision-3303108
5. The Print. (2023, March 7). Bihar voter list row: Opposition parties, civil society raise concerns over disenfranchisement. Retrieved from https://theprint.in/india/bihar-voter-list-row-opposition-parties-civil-society-raise-concerns-over-disenfranchisement/982254/

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