India Bloc alleges over 5,000 rising residents included in Bihar electoral rolls, EC denies

The India bloc alleged that “over 5,000” residents of Uttar Pradesh were registered as voters in an adjacent district of Bihar by the Election Commission to benefit the ruling NDA in the upcoming Assembly polls in the eastern state.

The Commission rejected this allegation, saying the figure of doubtful voters was “imaginary”.

Congress national general secretary Randeep Surjewala and RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha made the allegation at a press conference at Phulparas in Madhubani district on Tuesday.

They alleged that “doubtful” voters were registered mainly in Valmiki Nagar Assembly segment of West Champaran district, citing the name of a 45-year-old man, who was included in the electoral rolls despite being a voter from Khadda constituency in Kushinagar district.

However, the claim was debunked by the West Champaran district administration in a statement, which was shared by the Electoral Officer’s office here.

The statement pointed out “This is a draft voters’ list which was published by the EC on August 1 and not the final voters’ list. The very purpose of the draft lists is to invite complaints and objections regarding duplications or any other discrepancies.”

“Furthermore, during the press conference, the figure of more than 5,000 doubtful voters was trivialized without further details or evidence. It appears to be an imaginary figure that is not amenable to verification,” the administration said.

He added, “Many times, in Valmiki Nagar, because a change in the course of rivers, people are forced to change their address, which results in a person being registered in more than one place. The special intensive revision aims to remove these discrepancies.” The administration also clarified that Chhedi Ram, the Khadda voter cited by Surjewala and Jha, has been included in the draft electoral rolls and “he has already moved a request for removal of his name” from the UP Assembly constituency.