NEW DELHI — The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to hold a press conference at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 17, as political tensions rise over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The timing of the press conference coincides with the launch of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar, a 16-day campaign protesting the alleged exclusion of 6.5 million people from the state’s voter list.
In a statement released on Saturday, the ECI defended its process and criticized opposition parties for raising concerns at what it called the “wrong time.” The commission stated that some political parties and their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) “did not examine the electoral rolls at the appropriate time” and failed to point out errors during the designated claims and objections period.
The ECI emphasized that it follows a transparent, multi-layered process for preparing and finalizing voter lists. Draft rolls are published and shared with political parties, providing a full month for electors and parties to file claims and objections. After the final rolls are published, a two-tiered appeal process is also available. The commission argued that if issues had been raised through these proper channels, they could have been addressed before the elections.
The press conference, which will be addressed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners, is expected to focus on the “recent issues and allegations” surrounding the Bihar voter verification drive. It is widely seen as a direct response to the Opposition’s campaign and Rahul Gandhi’s repeated accusations of “vote theft.”
Gandhi has alleged that the ECI and the BJP are “colluding” to manipulate voter data to benefit the ruling party. He has cited an analysis from the Mahadevapura assembly segment in Karnataka, claiming that 100,250 votes were “stolen” to ensure a BJP victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In response, the ECI has rejected his allegations and has asked Gandhi to sign a formal declaration or apologize to the nation for his claims.
Despite the back-and-forth, the ECI’s statement on Saturday concluded by saying it “continues to welcome the scrutiny of Electoral Rolls by Political Parties and any Elector. It will help SDMs/EROs to remove the errors and purify the Electoral Rolls which has always been the objective of ECI.”