CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said on Wednesday that the Election Commission is trying to create an impression that everything is fine with the ongoing Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and that no complaints have been received. However, the reality is entirely different.
He said that the ground situation is quite different. Objections are being filed by voters, while several voters whose names have been removed from the electoral roll are being asked to fill out Form-6 again to have their names reinstated.
He said, “The Election Commission itself has acknowledged that it has received around 3,000 objections directly from voters (not through Booth Level Agents, BLAs). However, no action has been taken on these objections so far.”
The Left leader said that the Election Commission’s refusal to provide a booth-wise list of deleted names and reasons for deletion also highlights the situation.
He added: “We have repeatedly demanded that the Election Commission make public the booth-wise list of deleted voters along with the reasons for their deletion. However, the Commission is adamant about providing only a consolidated list, which makes it extremely difficult for political parties to verify each case. If the Commission truly wants to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the electoral roll, why is it hesitant to share this information?”
RJD State Spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said that according to the data released by the Election Commission, 22 lakh voters’ names were deleted because they have passed away.
He said: “If that figure is correct then why is the Election Commission hesitant to provide a booth-wise list of the people who have passed away. This would further strengthen its non-partisan image. Otherwise, it would raise suspicion about the election commission’s misconduct.”
The RJD spokesperson expressed concern that the Election Commission’s approach suggests that, in addition to the 65 lakh voters already removed, another 1.5 to 2 crore voters may be deleted from the published draft electoral roll due to non-submission of documents. Furthermore, a large number of new voters may also be added to the list.