As the Election Commission pushes ahead with a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, one lakh electors have been flagged as "untraceable" during the enumeration process.
According to figures released on Wednesday, over 7.17 crore enumeration forms have been received and digitised as part of the drive. The poll body also confirmed that 20 lakh voters have so far been reported as deceased, while 28 lakh have permanently shifted from their registered addresses.
The Commission further stated that 15 lakh enumeration forms remain unreturned, making it difficult to verify the status of those individuals.
The exercise is set to reach its first major milestone on 1 August, when the draft electoral roll will be published. Electors and political parties will then have until 1 September to raise objections or file claims regarding errors or omissions.
Also read: Bihar remote controlled from Delhi, says Tejashwi Yadav
“If there is any error in the draft poll roll, any elector or political party can file an objection regarding the inclusion of the name of any proposed elector with the concerned electoral registration officer of that assembly constituency by September 1,” the EC noted in its statement.
Similarly, eligible individuals who do not find their names listed in the draft rolls may submit claims by the same deadline.
The Election Commission has stressed that the SIR is being carried out to ensure a clean, updated and error-free electoral roll ahead of upcoming electoral exercises in the state. Bihar, with its vast and often transient voter population, poses a unique logistical challenge for the revision of electoral records.
The roll revision exercise comes in the backdrop of mounting political activity in the state and heightened scrutiny of electoral integrity across the country.
Follow us
