Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of "abusing its powers" and attempting to alter the electoral demographics of states. His comments, made on Sunday, come amid a contentious row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and reports of voter additions in Tamil Nadu. Chidambaram stated that this alleged abuse of power must be challenged both politically and legally.
In a post on the social media platform X, Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram highlighted what he called a 'curiouser and curiouser' voter revision exercise in Bihar. He claimed that while 65 lakh voters are at risk of being disenfranchised in Bihar, an alarming and 'patently illegal' move is underway in Tamil Nadu to add 6.5 lakh people to the voter list.
The Rajya Sabha MP specifically criticised the ECI for allegedly designating migrant workers as 'permanently migrated.' He called this an 'insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice.' Chidambaram questioned the rationale behind this classification, asking why a migrant worker would not return to their home state, such as Bihar, to vote in state assembly elections, as they typically do for festivals like Chhath puja.
Chidambaram further argued that to be enrolled as a voter, a person must have a 'fixed and permanent legal home.' He asserted that a migrant worker has such a home in their native state, and therefore cannot be legally enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu. He questioned how a migrant worker whose family has a permanent home in Bihar could be considered 'permanently migrated' to Tamil Nadu.
Chidambaram concluded his statement by reiterating his belief that the ECI is 'abusing its powers and trying to change the electoral character and patterns of states.' He called for a robust response, declaring that this must be 'fought politically and legally.'
The opposition, including Chidambaram's party, has been vocal in its protest against the SIR exercise in both Houses of Parliament. They have called for a parliamentary debate on the matter, claiming that the ECI's actions are an attempt to 'disenfranchise voters' in Bihar in advance of the state's next assembly elections.
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