Supreme Court’s posers for ECI over Bihar poll exercise

THE Supreme Court has allowed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to continue with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, but it has asked the poll panel a very pertinent question: Why now? The court has rightly observed that the timing of the exercise — just months before the Assembly elections — has led to doubts and apprehensions. The onus is on the ECI to explain why the process was not initiated much earlier, which would have given around 7.9 crore voters of the state ample time to get their credentials verified. If, indeed, no voter is to be left behind, then the documentation has to be reasonable and hassle-free. The petitioners, including several Opposition leaders, claim that the paperwork rigmarole could disenfranchise many genuine voters. That’s an area of concern that the poll panel has to address on priority.

A revision of electoral rolls is undoubtedly mandated under the Constitution, and there is no quarrel with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s argument that “pure rolls” are a must for strengthening democratic processes. However, it’s the way the ECI has gone about things that has raised eyebrows. The apex court has wondered why the Aadhaar card has been excluded from the SIR drive. Its opinion is that the Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration card should be taken into consideration by poll officials. This is vital for the convenience of electors, who are the lifeblood of democracy.

It’s true that Aadhaar is not — and has never been — a proof of citizenship. However, precious little has been done over the years to curb the misuse of this document by illegal immigrants to gain voting rights. The Ministry of Home Affairs owes an explanation for the state of affairs. The Bihar SIR, warts and all, will be completed in due course. But the ECI can make the most of the learnings to plug gaps and make the exercise more streamlined and public-friendly in other states.

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