Should we allow bogus votes, CEC Gyanesh Kumar asks opposition | India News

NEW DELHI: Responding to opposition events’ fixed criticism of the continued SIR of Bihar’s electoral rolls, chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday requested if EC ought to, swayed by such assaults, allow bogus votes to be forged within the identify of electors who’re deceased, completely shifted, enrolled at two or extra locations or “illegal foreign immigrants”, first within the state after which throughout nation.The question got here on a day EC put the whole variety of electors in Bihar “not found at their addresses so far” at 61.1 lakh. This is inclusive of 21.6 lakh voters reported by sales space stage officers (BLOs) and political events’ sales space stage brokers (BLAs) as deceased, 31.5 lakh as premanently migrated, seven lakh as registered at multiple place, and 1 lakh as “untraceable”.“Should such bogus votes be allowed in violation of the Constitution,” the CEC requested whereas describing SIR as “a transparent exercise to make the electoral roll error-free, as the foundation stone of a robust democracy”. “Time has come for all to introspect on these important questions,” he informed TOI.With simply someday to go earlier than the deadline for submission of crammed and signed enumeration kinds in Bihar, EC mentioned 99% of the state’s 7.9 crore are actually lined below SIR, and over 91.3 kinds acquired and digitised. “Names of all these electors will be included in the draft electoral roll,” EC mentioned and added that the remaining kinds are being digitised together with BLO/BLA stories to facilitate verification in the course of the claims and objections interval.With simply six to seven lakh electors remaining to show of their kinds, “BLOs and BLAs will reach out to each of them in the hours leading up to the deadline, and help them to do the needful”, mentioned an election fee official.As per the SIR order, the draft electoral roll will likely be revealed on Aug 1, and its printed and digital copies supplied to all recognised political events, along with its being uploaded on the EC web site. The electors and events may have a month’s time from Aug 1 to file a declare in case of lacking names or increase an objection in case of a improper inclusion.