Bihar News: JD(U) MLA Opposes Timing Of Voter List Revision, Flags Labourers' Names Missing

Patna: After the opposition`s stiff protest against the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar`s JD (U) MLA on Wednesday opposed the timing of SIR exercise, alleging adequate time was not given for completing the process.

While talking to newspersons outside the assembly, JD (U) MLA from Parbatta, Dr Sanjeev Kumar, claimed that the names of several labourers in his assembly constituency had been erased from the voters' list.

“It is justified to erase the names of those who have died. However, it is completely wrong to remove names of the poor and labourers, as they do not know how to apply online,” he claimed.

He asserted that a large number of people were working in other states, but several of them could not be contacted. "Many migrant workers from my constituency are not entitled to any vacation for six months as per their work contract even as there are also difficulties in contacting them, and so there is an apprehension of their names being dropped from the voters' list", he added.

“Many people are left in my assembly constituency. Some way out should be found for including their names in the voter list. This will have a big impact on the vote bank of NDA in the elections too, people are demanding time but where is the time now,” he stated.

Voters, particularly those who are migrant workers, should be given more time for completing the formalities related to SIR exercise, he added.

Meanwhile, JD (U) MP Girdhari Yadav accused the Election Commission of forcefully imposing the SIR of electoral rolls on nearly eight crore voters of Bihar and demanded that the exercise should be delinked from the coming assembly election, and also called it a Tughlaqui farman'.

“Election Commission has "no practical knowledge" and has "forcefully imposed" the revision on nearly eight crore voters,” he remarked while talking to newspersons outside the parliament.

"... the Election Commission has no practical knowledge. It neither knows the history nor geography of Bihar. It took 10 days for me to collect all the documents. My son stays in America... how will he complete all the formalities in just a month?," he asked. "Six months should have been given for this," he remarked, while clarifying that his comment on the SIR was his personal opinion.

"It doesn't matter what the party is saying... this is the truth. If I can't tell the truth, why have I become an MP?" he commented.