EC defends SIR, rules out enquiry into voter deletions

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday firmly defended the Election Commission’s controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, rejecting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charge of “vote chori” as unfounded. However, the defence came amid growing outrage over the disenfranchisement of nearly 65.6 lakh voters in the state, with critics alleging the exercise is designed to push minorities and vulnerable groups out of the democratic process.

The Commission insisted it would proceed with the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar, noting that the mock list was prepared with the help of booth-level officers. CEC Gyanesh Kumar dismissed comparisons with Kerala as “baseless,” arguing that voters there were being used as a political tool by those attacking the Commission.

Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Kumar said the SIR was intended to correct existing discrepancies in the voters’ list and ensure greater transparency. “Every citizen above 18 years of age has the right and responsibility to enrol as a voter and exercise their franchise,” he said, adding that the Commission “does not discriminate” between ruling and opposition parties and treats all outfits equally.

But the numbers tell a different story. The draft rolls released after the SIR show a massive cut of over 65 lakh voters, shrinking Bihar’s electoral roll from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore. Opposition leaders and civil society groups allege that the purge has disproportionately affected Muslims, Dalits, migrants, and other disadvantaged sections, drawing parallels with the Assam NRC.

Kumar, however, downplayed these concerns, saying 28,370 individuals had so far submitted claims and objections and that booth-level officers and party agents were working together in a transparent process. He urged political parties to use the 15 days still available to raise objections, while criticising “misinformation” being spread about the SIR. “The fact remains that all stakeholders are working to make SIR a success in a transparent manner,” he said.

Responding to charges of fraud, the CEC insisted that with over one crore election personnel involved nationwide, “can vote chori happen in such a transparent process?” He dismissed claims of double voting, saying neither the EC nor the voters were intimidated by “baseless allegations.”

On privacy concerns, Kumar recalled the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling that sharing machine-readable voter lists could breach privacy, and flagged recent instances of voter photos being circulated without consent. He argued that the Commission remained “steadfast with voters of all classes without bothering about politics being played by some,” and that election petitions filed within 45 days of results were the proper constitutional remedy, not street-level allegations.