Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary asks critics to bring facts on voter list row

Voter List Row

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary stated that the Election Commission has cleared all doubts regarding the Special Intensive Revision process. He noted that the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners issued a joint statement confirming consensus on all panel decisions. Choudhary said the poll panel also clarified that its letter to the Cabinet Secretary concerned a different issue. He added that NDA allies have every right to raise concerns but must present concrete facts for any corrections. Addressing the specific issue of voter deletions in Bihar, Choudhary said no one questioned the deletion of seven lakh voters. The revision process found that 36 lakh voters shifted, 22 lakh died, and seven lakh were registered in more than one place, leaving a final list of 7.42 crore voters. He mentioned that all objections raised by Congress and other parties were addressed, and pointed out that courts are available to review matters after the EC finishes its process. Choudhary criticised opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav for rarely presenting facts and travelling around Bihar like tourists. He also targeted the Congress party's past actions involving former election commissioners and past prime ministers, questioning how the party won elections from 1952 to 1967 if systems were flawed. While acknowledging that CPI(M) and the INDIA bloc have the right to protest, he maintained they should bring facts.

Context

Voter list revisions are routine administrative exercises conducted by election authorities to update electoral rolls by removing names of deceased or relocated individuals. Political disputes surrounding such revisions often centre on transparency and the verification of removed entries.