The EC is clear about its decisions, but only till the publication of the draft electoral rolls. But after this, a sinister campaign of ‘raising objections’ may begin.

The EC is clear about its decisions, but only till the publication of the draft electoral rolls. But after this, a sinister campaign of ‘raising objections’ may begin.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, has noted that the decision to undertake an intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar is one that will hold for a long duration in the future. Voters whose names appear in the final electoral rolls of 2025 will not need to prove their credentials as a voter till 2050 at least. The EC appears clear about its decisions, but until the publication of the draft electoral rolls alone.

I met the Chief Election Commissioner last Monday (June 30). What he shared in the meeting of 40 minutes has gradually been made public by the Election Commission through different press releases.

The EC indicates that, after 2003, an intensive electoral rolls revision for the Bihar assembly elections in 2025 has been taken up on an experimental basis. This is also surmised from the fact that the CEC stressed in his conversation with me that such intensive rolls revision should be carried out across the nation in the next few months. The press releases of the EC have also informed people that the aim of the intensive revision is to publish fresh electoral rolls after removing voters who died after 2003, voters enrolled in more than one roll, and voters living outside the state.

Asked about the apprehensions related to the completion of this exercise before the Bihar assembly elections, he clarified that a large number of polling station officials, agents of political parties and other volunteers have been deployed for the revision and they will complete their tasks within the stipulated time frame.

Following the interaction, in the course of a week, this revision is being vehemently opposed in Bihar. The EC, on its part, has been issuing clarifications at various levels. Particularly after a delegation of the INDIA alliance met the EC in this regard, advertisements carrying the EC’s clarification have been issued in Sunday newspapers.

The members of the INDIA alliance delegation clearly expressed that their meeting with the EC cannot be termed as cordial at all. Besides, they also stressed that their apprehensions related to the intensive revision in Bihar have grown further. INDIA parties have termed this revision ‘vote bandi (deprivation of franchise)’. In Bihar, the constituent parties of the INDIA alliance are thus announcing agitation programmes against the EC’s decision. On the contrary, the EC is claiming that the pace of distribution of enumeration forms has been enhanced.

My 40-minute meeting with the CEC indicated that the EC is taking one step after another, regarding the revision. The information shared by the CEC with me contained several claims. These can neither be confirmed, nor can any clear basis be given to repudiate them without adequate resources. The EC, on its part, has been clarifying its claims through various press releases and crores of voters are confirming or rejecting them at their own level.

The CEC made one thing very clear – that he is heading a constitutional institution and that the constitution gives him the mandate to prepare a list of valid voters who can select parties to run the government in a democracy. When I pointed out that the question of people’s culture is important and there is no practice or means of documentation among common voters, the CEC replied that a constitutional body cannot worry about the consequences of any action taken under the provisions of the constitution. The EC is an entirely different institution than any other government machinery. The pressure of the majoritarian atmosphere is not conducive for the EC.

During the caste survey in Bihar, it came to light that there are lakhs of people in the state whose monthly income is less than Rs 6,000. Among them, 33.58% are from the Extremely Backward Classes, 42.39% are Dalits, 42.70% are Tribals and 33.1% are from the Backward Classes. Another 25.09% are from economically weaker sections with a monthly income of less than than Rs 6,000.

The EC’s decisions for the future are predetermined and this came to light during the interaction with the Chief Election Commissioner.

Thus, in a way, the actions of political parties – many of whom are planning protests – are crucial to determine the future of the EC’s decision. The EC has said that 11 documents are required during the revision. Several constituents of the INDIA alliance are demanding to increase the number of documents by including voter ID cards, Aadhaar cards and other documents. But the CEC also said to me that the enumeration form can be submitted even without these documents and advertisements to this effect have also been issued.

Two main things are very clear regarding the revision.

First, the EC wants to verify a voter’s claim of being a citizen for inclusion in the electoral rolls. Thus the documents prepared to prove that claim have to be obtained from government offices.

Second, the difference between a voter and citizen is to now be determined through the intensive rolls revision of the EC and the actions of political parties.

If a voter fills up the enumeration form alone, their name can be included in the draft electoral roll before the release of the final rolls. It can be inferred that the EC is clear about its decisions, but only till the publication of the draft electoral rolls. But after this, a sinister campaign of raising objections may begin on the names included in the rolls, which may become the main source and issue of polarisation and division among voters in the upcoming elections in Bihar.

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