New Delhi [India], July 13: BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday dismissed any controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, stating that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is carrying out the process with “good intentions.”
Speaking to ANI, Hussain said, “The verification is ongoing. There is no controversy in the SIR process. The Election Commission is a constitutional body trusted by the entire country. It has successfully conducted many elections and is globally respected.”
He added that the Supreme Court had refused to halt the process, showing confidence in the EC’s actions. “Many people went to the Supreme Court against the voter list revision, but the court refused to stop it. Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, Burmese, and Nepalis have been found in the voter rolls. Only Biharis should vote in Bihar,” he said.
Sources indicate that Booth Level Officers (BLOs), during door-to-door verification, have discovered individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar possessing Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and domicile documents. A proper inquiry into these findings will be conducted from August 1 to August 30. Any irregular entries will be removed before the final list is published on September 30.
The ECI reported that by Saturday evening, over 80.11% of electors had submitted their Enumeration Forms (EFs), aiming to complete the process by July 25. More than 77,000 BLOs and over 20,000 additional BLOs have been deployed, supported by political party-appointed booth-level agents and 4 lakh volunteers.
The Commission stated that efforts are being made to assist vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities. As of July 13, 4.66 crore EFs have been digitized and uploaded to ECINet, the Commission’s newly integrated electoral system.
Eligible voters must submit their forms with relevant documents to be included in the draft rolls on August 1. Documents can be submitted until August 30, the deadline for filing claims and objections.