The CPI(ML) Liberation has reported significant findings from a survey which indicates that a considerable number of voters in Bihar were wrongfully removed from the electoral rolls. Conducted in the Aigaon and Ziradei Assembly constituencies, the survey aims to address concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Dipankar Bhattacharya, the general secretary of CPI(ML), stated during a press conference in New Delhi that many voters who were allegedly deleted from the rolls were still residing at their registered addresses, thereby undermining the revision process. The party is advocating for the reinstatement of voting rights for those who have been unjustly excluded.

In Aigaon, the survey included 204 voters, out of which it was discovered that 46 individuals, representing 22.5 per cent, still lived in their respective villages despite their names having been removed prior to the SIR exercise. The research also reviewed additional booths, analysing 665 voters deleted during the SIR and finding that 77, or approximately 11 per cent, remained in the area.

CPI(ML) to Launch National Movement

Following the conclusion of its survey in Bihar, CPI(ML) plans to initiate a national movement to address these electoral discrepancies. Bhattacharya estimated that more than 2,000 voters in Aigaon may have been wrongfully cut from the electoral register, further emphasising the need for widespread awareness and action.

In Ziradei, the party surveyed nine booths and discovered 122 voters among 665 whose names were removed during the SIR process were still present in the village. Additionally, 15 out of 189 voters eliminated before the SIR were also found to still reside at their original addresses. Bhattacharya calculated that this might indicate around 3,500 wrongful deletions in this constituency alone.

The sampling method employed by the CPI(ML) focused on areas with notable levels of both additions and deletions in the electoral rolls. Party workers conducted thorough door-to-door verification to gather accurate data, and Bhattacharya pointed out concerns regarding some of the additions made before the SIR, although these were not included in the estimates of wrongful deletions.

Political Controversy Surrounds Election Commission

These allegations come amidst a growing political debate concerning the Election Commission’s handling of electoral processes, particularly the SIR. A report from The Indian Express revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had expressed objections to various decisions by the poll panel over a period of ten months, bringing into question the integrity of electoral roll management.

This report has fueled calls from opposition parties for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, resulting in renewed efforts to draft a motion in Parliament. Bhattacharya conveyed the CPI(ML)’s demand for an immediate cessation of the SIR and the restoration of voting rights for those allegedly wrongfully excluded from the rolls.

In a recent statement, Bhattacharya highlighted the importance of involving all opposition parties and civil society groups in the dialogue regarding the future of electoral processes in India. The matter was also discussed at the meeting of the INDIA bloc held on June 8, with plans to reconvene in the subsequent months. He stressed that the integrity of the electoral system should be of utmost priority for all democratic stakeholders.

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