The Election Commission of India (EC) reported on Tuesday substantial irregularities discovered in Bihar’s voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The EC stated that the review has uncovered approximately 18 lakh deceased voters, 26 lakh individuals who have moved to other constituencies, and around 7 lakh voters registered in multiple locations.
These findings have surfaced at a time when the Supreme Court and the opposition have expressed significant concerns about the SIR process. The EC defended the SIR exercise, indicating that it aims to clean up the electoral process and remove ineligible voters.
In its formal statement, the Commission stated that the SIR process aims to improve electoral transparency by excluding those who do not satisfy the requirements for voter eligibility. The right to vote is based on eligibility criteria such as citizenship, age, and residence, according to Article 326 of the Constitution and the relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act. The EC stated that ineligible people cannot claim a violation of Articles 19 and 21 on these grounds.
The Commission also highlighted that documents such as Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards are currently utilized for identity verification during the SIR process.
The Election Commission’s statement was a response to a petition filed against the June 24 order. The order stated the SIR of the voter list would commence in Bihar and could later be implemented nationwide.
The EC also stated that providing an Aadhaar number in the nomination form is completely optional, and the information is used only for identity verification, as stipulated in Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
On July 10, the Supreme Court ordered that Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards be accepted as valid identity proofs throughout the ongoing SIR process in Bihar. The state is scheduled to conduct assembly elections later this year, with the next hearing in the case set for July 28.