Bihar Polls: CEC Silent On Number Of Foreigners Removed From Electoral Rolls After SIR, Says That Data Is Decentralised

Chief Election Commissioner Ganesh Kumar declined to give a specific figure for illegal foreign immigrants removed from Bihar’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

He explained that the data remains “decentralised” and is available with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) at the constituency level, reported The Times Of India.

“The 7.4 crore electors of Bihar have reposed confidence in EC with their full participation in the SIR exercise and EC reciprocates confidence in them... I appeal to the people of Bihar to participate enthusiastically in the ensuing polls,” Kumar said while announcing the Bihar poll schedule.

Kumar said the ERO acts as the final authority on inclusion or exclusion of names. He noted that at the draft roll publication stage, the EC deleted 65 lakh names, and a further 3.7 lakh at the final roll publication stage. These removals were due to reasons such as death, permanent shifting, being untraced during enumeration, being enrolled at multiple places, or being non-citizens.

Of the 65 lakh deletions, Kumar said, 22 lakh were due to death, 7 lakh for multiple enrolments, and 36 lakh for permanently shifting or being untraced. The last category could include illegal foreigners, but the EC did not disclose exact figures. Earlier, the EC had listed “untraced/not found” voters at about 1 lakh.

“All these lists have been shared at the assembly constituency, district, and state level,” Kumar added. “They are available with the ERO, district election officer (DEO) and chief electoral officer (CEO).”

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