EC Clarifies: Draft Voter List in Bihar Not Final, Invites Corrections

The Election Commission (EC) clarified that the draft electoral roll in Bihar is not the final voters' list. Announced on Sunday, the draft version will be published on August 1, with the final roll scheduled for release on September 30. The EC emphasized that there remains a window from August 1 to September 1 for eligible citizens to be added and for erroneous entries to be corrected.

During the first Special Intensive Revision (SIR) phase, 91.69% of voters responded to enumeration forms, with detected issues such as seven lakh voters registered at multiple places. The EC underlined that only one registration per voter will be retained. Opposition parties, fearing potential disenfranchisement, allege political biases could affect the revisions.

While some political parties critique the draft being mistaken for the final roll, the EC encourages booth-level agents to actively participate in the claims and objections process. The Commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring inclusive voter participation, making a concerted effort to leave no eligible voter behind in Bihar.

(With inputs from agencies.)