Opposition MPs write to Lok Sabha speaker, seek urgent discussion on Bihar voter roll revision

A delegation of Opposition MPs on Friday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to urgently schedule a special discussion on the revision of voter rolls currently underway in Bihar.

The MPs expressed “deep concern” about the exercise, particularly its timing just months before the Assembly elections in the state. They noted that the revision of electoral rolls has direct implications for the right to vote and for free and fair elections.

Among the signatories to the letter were the Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Aravind Sawant.

The MPs noted that the Election Commission has indicated that similar exercises may soon be carried out in other parts of the country. “Given the widespread apprehension about the transparency, timing and intent of this process, the matter requires the urgent attention of the House,” they said in the letter to the Lok Sabha speaker.

The letter came on the day the Election Commission published the draft voter roll for Bihar, following the completion of the special intensive revision exercise. The final roll will be out on September 30.

The poll body said the revision covered all 243 Assembly constituencies and 90,817 polling stations, and the...

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