EC to Soon Put Out 2003 Bihar Voters' List

No documents needed for 2003 voters, only the 2003 roll extract is required without additional proof.

- TDG NETWORK

The Election Commission will soon upload the 2003 Bihar electoral roll on its website to facilitate the nearly 4.96 crore voters whose names figure on it; extract the relevant portion to be attached with the enumeration form for the special intensive revision of the voters' list.

As opposition parties questioned the revision exercise, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said on Sunday that the purpose is to ensure that no eligible citizen is left out of the electoral rolls and no ineligible person is a part of it.

Several opposition parties have said that the intensive revision carries the risk of willful exclusion of voters using the state machinery.

A senior functionary asserted that anyone opposing the exercise is also opposing Article 326 and should therefore clarify their stand.

Article 326 says that all eligible citizens should be included in the electoral rolls, and those not eligible or not citizens of India cannot be part of the voters' list.

EC functionaries pointed out that during the ongoing SIR in Bihar, the poll authority advised political parties to appoint their workers as booth level agents (BLAs) in all polling stations now rather than finding faults with the electoral rolls later.

On Saturday, the commission said all recognized national and state political parties have already appointed 154,977 BLAs. They can still appoint more, it pointed out.