Bihar SIR: As deadline nears, over 2 lakh pleas filed for removal, 33,000 for inclusion in voter list

The month-long period to demand inclusion or deletion of names from the electoral rolls of Bihar ends on Monday, with more than 33,000 electors filing pleas to add their names to the list.

Over 2 lakh demands have been made by individuals seeking removal of names they claim have been wrongfully included in the draft rolls.

The draft electoral rolls were published on August 1 and will remain open for “claims and objections” by individuals and political parties till September 1.

People and parties have the right under election law to challenge inclusion of names who they think are ineligible. Similarly, people who think they are eligible but have been left out of the draft list can seek inclusion.

The final electoral roll for Bihar, which will go to polls likely in November, will be published on September 30.

The booth-level agents appointed by the political parties have so far filed 25 claims for inclusion and 103 for exclusion from the draft list.

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear a plea filed by the RJD and others seeking a direction to the Election Commission (EC) to extend the deadline for filing claims in respect of those who have not been included in the draft list during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls for Bihar.

According to the EC, 99.11 per cent of the 7.24 crore electors of the state have submitted their documents for verification so far.

The Supreme Court has now asked the poll authority to accept Aadhaar or any of the 11 listed documents from people seeking inclusion in the voter list.

The EC, on its part, has urged the Supreme Court to repose faith in it for carrying out the SIR exercise.