Voter Deletion War: Ex-CECs, Activist Clash Over Bihar's 47 Lakh Missing Voters

Voter List War: 65 Lakh Names Deleted In Bihar, Is West Bengal Next?

This special report examines the political firestorm surrounding the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The process, which the opposition has termed 'vote chori' or vote theft, has intensified following the deletion of over 65 lakh names from Bihar's voter list. Congress leader Dr. Shama Mohamad questioned the transparency of the deletions, while BJP's Syed Zafar Islam indicated that detected individuals would face deportation as non-citizens. The ECI plans to extend this exercise to 12 other states and Union Territories, including West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, sparking further political contention. Opposition parties allege collusion between the ECI and the BJP, raising concerns about the timing, transparency, and potential disenfranchisement of voters. Conversely, the government and BJP maintain that the SIR is a routine and necessary process to ensure a clean and fair electoral roll, citing reasons such as deaths, duplications, and shifted residents, and referencing a Supreme Court observation.