'Tughlaqi farman': ECI set on deleting 20 pc of Bihar's voters, alleges Congress

The Congress on Thursday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of attempting to disenfranchise nearly 20 per cent of voters in Bihar under the guise of a Special Summary Revision (SSR).

Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram, who was part of the INDIA bloc delegation that met ECI officials, said the commission appeared “aggressive and resolute” in its plan to delete voters from the electoral rolls.

“It seemed as if the ECI had already made up its mind to strip away voting rights. Who decided to carry out such a massive special intensive revision in just one month?” asked Ram at a press conference at Congress headquarters Indira Bhawan.

Raising concerns, he questioned the feasibility of completing the process in just 19 days, accusing the ECI of rushing through an exercise that lacks both transparency and practicality. Key points he raised included:

• Overburdened BLOs: Booth-level officers (BLOs) are tasked with verifying thousands of voters each, yet have not been given adequate resources or support.

• Staff shortages: “There are 4 lakh vacant posts in Bihar’s government departments. No significant recruitment has taken place in the last 20 years. Who will carry out this mammoth task?” he asked.

• Lack of skilled personnel: The state lacks trained officers and sufficient manpower to conduct such a revision.

• Geographical challenges: One part of Bihar is flood-prone while the other is drought-hit. “How will BLOs operate in flood-affected areas?”

• Migrant workers: Lakhs of seasonal labourers from Bihar migrate to Punjab and Haryana during this period. “They won’t return for another four months. If BLOs don’t find them at home, will they be removed from the voter list?” he questioned.

“Is the BJP going to carry out this exercise in place of government staff?” Ram asked pointedly, calling the process a “well-planned conspiracy” to disenfranchise nearly 8 crore voters in Bihar.

Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru echoed the concerns and condemned the move, calling it a "Tughlaqi farman (diktat)".

“History will never forgive you, Mr. Modi,” he said. “Never before in Indian democracy have 8 crore people — who voted just a year ago — been asked to resubmit their identity documents.”

Calling the move a "sin", Allavaru warned that the people of India would not forgive the Modi government for this “unprecedented attack on democratic rights”.