Jun 26, 2025 04:55 AM IST

EC cited speedy urbanisation, frequent migration and international unlawful immigrants as a number of the motivations for the house-to-house verification train

The Election Commission has made it necessary for brand new and current voters to submit a self-attested declaration that they’re Indian residents, whether or not by beginning or by naturalization, and furnish documentary proof of date and fatherland together with that of their mother and father, officers mentioned on Wednesday, as a political controversy broke out over the EC’s resolution to conduct a particular intensive revision of the electoral rolls to weed out unlawful immigrants forward of the Bihar polls.

The revision train started in Bihar, the place polls are due later this 12 months, on Wednesday (HT Photo)

The revision train started in Bihar, the place polls are due later this 12 months, on Wednesday.

“The SIR directives are detailed and could be adopted in precept by the sales space stage officers (BLOs), who will make home to deal with verification of voters. The train has begun from right this moment and can proceed until July 26,” mentioned a state election division official.

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As a part of the documentation, electors born in India earlier than 01.07.1987 will likely be requested to submit a pre-filled enumeration kind and one doc for self (from the checklist of 11 completely different paperwork) establishing date of beginning and/or fatherland.

Those born between 01.07.1987 and 02.12.2004 must present anybody doc establishing date of beginning and/or fatherland together with any doc, for father or mom, to determine their date of beginning and/or fatherland.

Electors born in India after 02.12.2004 must give proof of self to determine date of beginning/fatherland, and paperwork establishing the date of beginning and fatherland for folks. If any mother or father shouldn’t be India, a replica of his/her passport and visa on the time of beginning needs to be supplied, the officers mentioned.

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The accepted paperwork embody any id card/pension fee order, id card or doc issued in India by authorities earlier than 01/07/1987, beginning certificates issued by the competent authority, passport, matriculation certificates, everlasting residence certificates issued by competent state authority and any land or home allotment certificates by authorities, amongst others.

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“All electors within the state who’re enlisted within the rolls or these making use of to get their names enrolled within the voters’ checklist must refill the enumeration kinds to be supplied by the BLOs with paperwork establishing their date of beginning and /or fatherland in addition to their mother and father (relying on the date of beginning of electors like earlier than 1987 or after),” mentioned one other EC official.

Bihar’s fundamental opposition events — the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI-ML (Liberation) — mentioned that such an train simply forward of the polls was unacceptable and illogical.

RJD chief Chittaranjan Gagan, who attended the assembly with CEO Bihar on behalf of his occasion, mentioned the RJD is strongly towards such an train. “We apprised the CEO that lakhs of households within the state do not need paperwork as being requested to determine their fatherland or date of beginning for inclusion within the electoral rolls. This is a conspiracy to deprive lakhs of electors from exercising their franchise within the state,” mentioned Gagan.

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CPI-ML (Liberation) nationwide normal secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya mentioned the SIR was nothing lower than an train much like nationwide register of residents. “How can such an enormous train be achieved inside a month. This is all illogical and non-feasible. Elections must be performed in a democratic course of with inclusiveness and never by instilling worry amongst electors,” Bhattacharya mentioned.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) mentioned on Tuesday that it’s going to undertake a particular intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar to weed out ineligible names, citing speedy urbanisation, frequent migration and international unlawful immigrants as a number of the motivations for the house-to-house verification train.

News company PTI on Wednesday mentioned that the EC plans to conduct an identical assessment in 5 different states — Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal — the place elections are scheduled in 2026.

Eventually, the ballot authority will start particular intensive revision in your complete nation “for the discharge of its constitutional mandate to guard the integrity of the electoral rolls”, PTI quoted officers as saying.