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After meeting the Election Commission, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi speaks to media. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
A day after a multi-party delegation of INDIA bloc met the Election Commission to express concerns about the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, the Congress Thursday alleged that the exercise was aimed at disenfranchising about 2 crore votes, who might be unable to furnish the documents sought by the poll panel.
At a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress’s Media and Publicity Department chairman Pawan Khera alleged that the special intensive revision was a “clear conspiracy to disenfranchise the Bihar voters and deny them their basic right to vote”.
“The way the EC is being run poses a serious threat to democracy — not just against the Opposition, but against each and every voter,” Khera said, adding, “With all humility at my command, I warn the EC that power is a transient thing. Why are you being so servile to them (the BJP)? It would be better if you followed the Constitution.”
Bihar PCC president Rajesh Kumar alleged that the special intensive revision was an attempt “to snatch away the basic voting right of the Bihar voters”. Claiming that there will be practical difficulties in carrying out the exercise in just one month, he alleged that “it seems as if they (EC) have resolved to strip away the rights of 20% of Bihar voters”. He claimed that the move “to disenfranchise about 2 crore voters” was fuelled by the growing popularity of the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi in Bihar.
He questioned how the poll panel will reach out to over 3 crore people who have migrated to Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab and Haryana for livelihood.
Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru dubbed the special intensive revision yet another “arbitrary decision” of the PM Narendra Modi-led government being imposed on people. “It is clear that the Election Commission is showing interest in removing people from the voter list. This is a conspiracy in which people’s right to vote will be taken away,” Allavaru said.
In a statement Thursday, the EC said that it met representatives of the Congress, RJD, SP, DMK, NCP (SCP), JMM, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, CPI and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday and told them that the special intensive revision drive was being conducted “in a planned, structured and a phased manner to facilitate the inclusion of all eligible citizens”. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar asked the parties to appoint more booth level agents to help voters. The poll panel said that in the first phase, from June 25 to July 3, enumeration forms are being printed and distributed to the around 7.9 crore voters in Bihar.
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