CEC Gyanesh Kumar Dismisses ‘Vote Chori’ Allegations, Calls Bihar Voter Roll Revision Transparent
ECI Defends Bihar Voter Roll Exercise Amid Opposition Protests
New Delhi, Aug 18 — Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday firmly rejected allegations of “vote chori” in Bihar, asserting that the Election Commission of India (ECI) remains committed to impartiality and transparency in fulfilling its constitutional mandate.
Addressing a press briefing, Kumar described the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls as completely transparent. “Rumours are being spread about the exercise even though draft voter lists have already been given to political parties,” he said.
According to Kumar, either booth-level agents (BLAs) of political parties are not collecting the draft lists for verification, or allegations are being made deliberately for political mileage. “There is no question of the ECI’s image being tarnished as over seven crore voters and all stakeholders are standing firmly with the poll panel,” he said.
He added that attempts to spread misinformation amount to disrespecting the Constitution.
Opposition Launches ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’
The ECI’s clarification came on the same day when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav flagged off the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, protesting against alleged irregularities and disenfranchisement in the electoral rolls.
Opposition parties have claimed that lakhs of voters risk being deprived of their democratic right due to large-scale deletions in the draft rolls.
The Numbers Behind Bihar’s SIR Exercise
The enumeration phase of the SIR was conducted between June 24 and July 25, covering over 7.24 crore electors out of Bihar’s total 7.89 crore voters.
When the draft rolls were published on August 1, about 65 lakh voters were found missing. This included:
- 22 lakh deceased voters (2.83%)
- 36 lakh voters (4.59%) who had permanently shifted or were not found
- 7 lakh voters (0.89%) enrolled at multiple places
Since August 1, over one lakh newly eligible voters (turning 18 after the revision) have already applied for inclusion. Additionally, the ECI has received 28,370 claims and objections from electors during the ongoing correction window.
Parties Urged to Use Grievance Window
The ECI reminded political parties that they have until the end of August to file claims and objections regarding inclusion or exclusion from the draft rolls.
Despite Opposition allegations, the Commission pointed out that not a single political party has submitted formal claims or objections so far.
The CEC also highlighted the increased engagement of parties in deploying Booth Level Agents (BLAs) during the revision:
- Congress: 17,549 BLAs (↑ 105%)
- RJD: 47,506 BLAs (↑ 1%)
- JD(U): 36,550 BLAs (↑ 31%)
- BJP: 53,338 BLAs (↑ 3%)
With over 67,000 BLAs deployed across the state, the ECI reiterated that the process remains open, participatory, and verifiable.
“No Tarnish on ECI’s Image”
Kumar dismissed concerns about credibility, saying the electoral revision exercise is being conducted with full transparency. “Over seven crore voters and all stakeholders are standing firmly with the poll panel,” he said.
The Commission maintained that allegations of “vote theft” are unfounded and that politicising electoral processes risks undermining public faith in democratic institutions.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
The clash between the Election Commission’s assertion of transparency and the Opposition’s claims of disenfranchisement sets the stage for a heated political battle ahead of elections in Bihar.
While the ECI has provided data-backed clarifications and kept open channels for corrections, the Opposition’s protests are likely to intensify, making electoral credibility a key political narrative.
The coming weeks will show whether political parties substantiate their allegations through formal claims or continue to frame it as a street-level movement to mobilize voters.