Draft Voter List Sparks Debate: Legitimacy, Documents, and Democratic Rights

Following the revision of the Bihar voter list, the Election Commission has published a draft version, removing over 6.5 million names. Bihar now has a total of 72.4 million registered voters. The Commission states that most of the removed names belong to individuals who are either deceased or have permanently relocated. The draft voter list process initiated by the Election Commission has been controversial from the start, with opposition parties frequently criticizing the Commission. All political parties are thoroughly examining the draft list to determine who might gain or lose from the removal of these votes. Each party has its own interpretation. One analysis indicates that the BJP-led NDA won the previous election in areas where the most names were deleted, while regions with fewer deletions are dominated by the RJD, Congress, and other opposition parties. The upcoming elections will ultimately reveal the beneficiaries and losers, but the Election Commission still faces unresolved questions.

When this matter reached the Supreme Court, it asked the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar, Voter ID card and Ration card as valid documents. The Supreme Court had said that the Election Commission does not have the right to decide citizenship. Then the Election Commission had clarified by giving an affidavit in the court that during the revision of the voter list, Aadhaar card, Voter ID card and Ration card are not valid documents and they cannot be recognized. The controversy became more intense on this and the Supreme Court had to say that if there is a large-scale error in the voter list, then it will intervene. The question is also being raised that when Aadhaar is mandatory everywhere from opening an account in a bank to registering for LPG, then why is it not a valid document for the authentication of citizenship. Both the Supreme Court and the Election Commission are constitutional institutions and they have their own limits. It is appropriate to remove the names of dead voters and voters who have migrated to other places but what will happen to the illiterate, poor and backward people of Bihar who do not have the necessary documents.

Opposition parties have asked many questions to the Election Commission, some of the major questions include what is the basis of traceless (non-local) people being removed from the voter list? On what basis were the names of dead voters removed? How many people were given this list in the voter list process? How many names were removed assembly wise? and other questions. The leaders of the Grand Alliance say that if these questions are not answered on time, it will raise questions on electoral transparency and fairness. After the meeting, all the parties have indicated that if the Election Commission does not give a satisfactory answer, then this issue can now be given the form of a big movement. The leaders of the Grand Alliance should come forward in this matter with solid evidence. Of course, such voters whose names have been deleted can appeal till September 1, but the credibility of the Election Commission's process is also under doubt.

During the revision process, many BLOs were suspended because they were submitting the forms arbitrarily. It was found at many places that they were making do by asking people around about voters who were not found at home. On this basis, a person was considered to have migrated. No certificate was taken from the family in this regard. On the other hand, the opposition is calling the Election Commission voter thief and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has even announced to explode an atom bomb on the Election Commission. If someone's name appears in the voter list once again, then a fixed procedure should be followed to remove it. In the law, this assumption is in your favor that if you have a voter ID, then you must have already submitted the necessary documents. During the revision process, the Election Commission put the entire burden on the voters to prove themselves that they are Indian citizens.

Indian democracy is the world's largest democracy whose strength lies in fair elections and public participation. The Election Commission protects the right of every citizen to vote freely. If its functioning is doubted, then there are chances of democracy being 'bleeded'. It is true that the Election Commission has been given the constitutional right of revision in Articles 324 and 326 of the Constitution. The voter lists must be amended. Nowadays Bangladeshi infiltrators, Rohingya Muslims are being traced and sent back. If documents like Aadhaar, ration card and voter card are being made fake, then the government is also responsible for this. The Election Commission will have to come forward with clear rules.

Voter ID cards are made under the supervision of the Election Commission, then why are they not being considered a document of trust? Then the condition of the residential certificate which was given a place in the Commission's list is such that news came of issuing a residence certificate in the name of a dog from Masaurhi in Bihar. In such a situation, which certificate will be considered the most reliable? It is true that the process of amendment in the voter list is necessary to keep the electoral process in the country transparent. But it is also the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of the right to vote due to the complexity of this process.