ECI Reports No Complaints as Parties Challenge Bihar Draft Roll

Quick Summary

• The Election commission of India (ECI) states that no claims or objections were officially submitted by political parties regarding wrongful inclusion or exclusion in Bihar’s draft electoral rolls.
• Political workers, including Booth Level Agents (BLAs), claim they have filed several complaints about voter deletions but believe these complaints are not being recorded by the ECI.
• Data provided by the ECI reveals:

– 0 claims registered from BLAs.
– 7,252 claims filed by individual voters.- Over 43,123 form 6 applications (meant for first-time voter registrations) submitted so far.

• Party representatives allege discrepancies in complaint handling:

– Complaints written on plain paper and counter-signed as receipts were reportedly forwarded to higher officials but remain unregistered in official data.

• Rules require Forms like Form 7 to challenge name additions/deletions and Form 6 for first-time voter registration, yet clarity on proper complaint format is lacking among BLAs and political workers.
• CPI(ML) accused the ECI of forcing those whose names were deleted to file Form 6 instead of providing a clear mechanism to challenge deletions.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The procedural uncertainty surrounding Bihar’s draft electoral rolls raises questions about transparency in managing election-related grievances. While the Election Commission asserts it has complied with formal requirements for accepting only properly formatted objections,ground-level reports from Booth Level Agents and party representatives highlight gaps between institutional guidelines and practical implementation. Allegations that valid grievances were ignored could undermine public trust in electoral processes unless addressed efficiently.

Further scrutiny is needed into why complaints counter-signed as receipts are missing from official data since this discrepancy points to a potential communication breakdown between district officers and central authorities. The alleged reliance on Form 6 applications instead of established forms like Form 7 risks sidelining legitimate concerns about voter deletions-an issue particularly significant given reports suggesting higher deletions in specific demographic districts like Muslim-majority areas. Ensuring greater clarity and accountability through training or revised protocols may enhance fairness and confidence during critical revisions ahead of elections.

Read More: No claim or objection submitted by any party on draft electoral rolls: ECI