The Election Fee of India accused opposition events on Saturday of elevating electoral roll considerations on the flawed time, and scheduled a press convention for Sunday that can coincide with Congress launching a statewide yatra on in poll-bound Bihar
The fee is scheduled to handle a briefing at 3pm on Sunday, as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi begins a 16-day “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar in opposition to what the opposition social gathering says is alleged voter fraud by way of the continued Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) that has led to six.5 million individuals being excluded from the state’s electoral rolls.
“Plainly some political events and their Sales space Stage Brokers (BLAs) didn’t look at the electoral rolls on the acceptable time and didn’t level out errors, if any, to SDMs/EROs, DEOs or CEOs,” the fee stated in an announcement on Saturday, referring to a course of that happens yearly.
The ballot physique stated events are actually elevating considerations outdoors the designated course of. “Not too long ago, some political events and people are elevating points about errors in electoral rolls, together with the electoral rolls ready previously,” it stated.
The fee stated there was a correct process for addressing electoral roll considerations. “The suitable time to boost any challenge with the electoral rolls would have been through the claims and objections interval of that part, which is exactly the target behind sharing the electoral rolls with all political events and the candidates,” it said.
“Had these points been raised on the proper time via the precise channels, it might have enabled the involved SDM/EROs to appropriate the errors, if real, earlier than these elections,” the fee added.
Sometimes, yearly, electoral rolls endure abstract revision with a qualifying date of January 1, when residents turning 18 grow to be eligible voters. Throughout this course of, draft rolls are revealed, adopted by a claims and objections interval lasting a number of weeks the place political events and voters can problem inclusions or exclusions. The ultimate rolls are then revealed by January 31, giving events a number of alternatives yearly to scrutinise and proper electoral knowledge via established authorized channels.
It’s possible these draft rolls that the EC was referring to, however didn’t specify in its assertion on Saturday.
The ballot physique will maintain a press convention on Sunday that includes Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and each Election Commissioners, although officers haven’t specified the topic. Folks conscious of the small print stated the fee will talk about “latest points and allegations” relating to the Bihar verification drive.
Officers conscious of the matter instructed HT that the presser is a response to the Opposition’s considerations on SIR particularly the Congress’s.
Gandhi has alleged “vote chori (vote theft)” in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Haryana, accusing the ballot panel of voter knowledge manipulation. On August 7, he claimed there have been 100,250 “stolen” votes in Bangalore Central’s Mahadevapura meeting phase that helped the BJP win the 2024 Lok Sabha seat, accusing the fee of “colluding” with the ruling social gathering.
The presentation prompted a right away response from the fee, which requested Gandhi to ship a signed declaration and oath supporting his allegations. Fee officers have since urged Gandhi to both signal the oath or “apologise” to the nation.
The fee stated it welcomes scrutiny. “ECI continues to welcome the scrutiny of Electoral Rolls by Political Events and any Elector. It would assist SDMs/EROs to take away the errors and purify the Electoral Rolls which has at all times been the target of ECI,” it said.
