No Non-Indian Voters in India’s Voter List: Election Commission
Amid the political uproar over voter list screening in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that this exercise will be carried out across all states. The process will involve confirming voter eligibility by visiting homes to ensure no non-Indian voters remain on the list.
Sources from the Election Commission revealed that the next phase of screening will focus on states holding assembly elections in 2026, including Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. After the elections in Bihar, these states will be next in line for the screening campaign.
The real test of this exercise will be in Assam and West Bengal, where the presence of Bangladeshi infiltrators has already sparked political tensions.
The plan is to complete screening in all states before the 2029 general elections. In the next phase, states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Manipur will be targeted, with elections scheduled in 2027. According to sources, the Election Commission aims to finish the voter list screening across all states before the 2029 general elections. Elections in 17 states are scheduled for 2028-29.
Meanwhile, the opposition has raised questions about the Commission's decision, announcing protests. On July 9, there will be a "Chakka Jam" in Bihar. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and opposition parties have filed petitions in the Supreme Court against the move. The petitions argue that deciding citizenship is the government's responsibility, not the Commission’s. They also claim that documents like Aadhaar cards and ration cards are not valid for screening, despite 90% of Bihar's population possessing these documents. The matter is scheduled for hearing on July 10.
In Bihar, 7.7 crore forms were distributed, with over 50% already submitted. The Election Commission reported that by July 8, 3.7 crore forms (46.95%) had been returned, with 18.16% of those forms uploaded online. The last date for form submission is July 25.
The controversy surrounding the voter list revision in Bihar has heated political discussions. The opposition has called for a "Bihar Bandh" on July 9, which will include former Congress President Rahul Gandhi. In Bhojpur, former RJD MLA Bhai Dinesh and his supporters disrupted the Shramjivi and Vibhuti Express trains and raised slogans. Moreover, photographs, CCTV footage, webcasting, and video recordings taken during the elections will only be retained for 45 days; after that, all data will be deleted, as per the Election Commission's directive issued on May 30 to all state Chief Election Officers.