CEC Gyanesh Kumar: '65 Lakh Voters Deleted from Bihar Rolls Within 56 Hours of SC Order'

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar announced that the Election Commission (EC) has uploaded the list of 65 lakh voters deleted from Bihar’s draft electoral roll within 56 hours of the Supreme Court’s directive. Speaking on Sunday, Kumar urged electors and political parties in Bihar to file their claims and objections within the remaining 15-day window, emphasizing that raising any errors after September 1 would be pointless.

Justifying the EC’s decision to conduct the Summary Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, Kumar explained that political parties had been demanding corrections to imperfections in the electoral rolls for over two decades. Responding to these demands, the EC decided to initiate the SIR exercise starting with Bihar. He also mentioned that the timeline for the SIR in other poll-bound states will be announced at an appropriate time.

Kumar strongly dismissed allegations of “vote theft” made by opposition parties and their leaders. He stressed that electors, party representatives, and booth-level officers are working harmoniously and transparently on the ground. These stakeholders endorse the revision exercise through their signatures and video testimonials. Kumar expressed concern that endorsements by district presidents and booth-level agents sometimes do not reach the state-level or national leadership of their parties, or are deliberately ignored, resulting in the spread of misinformation.

Addressing the timing of the SIR, Kumar clarified that since the annual summary revision pertains to January 1, 2025, starting the next revision on April 1 would have been premature, while beginning on October 1 would be too close to the assembly polls scheduled for November in Bihar.

Regarding allegations of hundreds or thousands of voters registered at the same address, Kumar explained the situation arises due to the absence of proper house numbering by local panchayats and municipalities, as well as unauthorized settlements. In such cases, it is a standard practice for the EC and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to register voters using notional addresses, often marked with a “zero” house number. This is not a new phenomenon; excerpts from electoral rolls shared by the EC with The Times of India show similar patterns in Assam (1966), Rajasthan (1980), and Uttar Pradesh (1985), where house numbers were either missing or inconsistently recorded.

In conclusion, the CEC’s statement highlights the Election Commission’s efforts to maintain transparency and accuracy in the electoral process while addressing criticisms and misinformation. The Summary Revision process aims to improve the quality of the electoral rolls, ensuring that only eligible voters are included, and erroneous entries are removed. The EC’s proactive response to the Supreme Court’s directive, coupled with an open invitation to voters and political parties to participate in the revision process within the stipulated timeline, underscores its commitment to upholding democratic processes in Bihar and across India.