CPI(ML), RJD Raise 82 Objections to Bihar’s Draft Electoral Rolls

Quick summary

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
• Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from political parties have submitted 82 claims and objections: 79 by CPI(ML) and three by RJD, compared to 1,95,802 individual voter submissions.
• The Supreme Court recently urged political parties to assist voters excluded from the electoral rolls but expressed surprise at the low number of objections filed by BLAs out of the total 1.6 lakh appointed agents.
• Political parties allege difficulties with BLAs being allowed to file complaints despite EC guidelines requiring proper forms and declarations for claims and objections.
• The EC deleted 65 lakh names from the July voter list citing reasons such as deaths, migration, or duplicate entries; total voters now stand at 7.24 crore in Bihar’s draft rolls.

Indian opinion Analysis
The ongoing revision to Bihar’s electoral rolls highlights both procedural challenges and conflicting narratives between political parties and the Election Commission. While individual voters have shown proactive participation in filing claims, the minimal engagement from Booth Level Agents raises questions about their effectiveness within party structures or barriers faced during submission processes.This gap could affect marginalized communities who rely on BLAs for portrayal in correcting omissions.

The Supreme Court’s comments emphasize democratic accountability and grassroots involvement but also expose organizational inefficiencies within political party networks tasked with field-level advocacy during critical processes like updating voter records.

Further clarity is needed on whether systemic hurdles or lack of training contributed to this discrepancy – factors that may impact public trust in electoral systems ahead of future elections.

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