Voter Recall in Bihar: Ensuring a Fair Second Chance for Eligible Voters to Rejoin the Electoral Rolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is under scrutiny as questions arise about whether they have learnt from the Bihar poll rolls controversy. The conduct of the Bihar polls is now in prime focus, with concerns about the credibility of the voter lists and the validity of the Aadhaar card system.

Initially, around 65 lakh voters were omitted from the Bihar poll rolls, sparking controversy and concern. To address this issue, the ECI extended the deadline for eligible voters to apply for inclusion in the rolls. However, the Special Intensive Revision exercise, aimed at updating the voter list, appears to have been flawed, with only 33,000 claims made before the September 1 deadline for re-inclusion.

The question of the Aadhaar card being a valid standalone document for re-inclusion in the Bihar voter rolls remains imprecise. The Supreme Court has answered in the negative that the Aadhaar card is standalone proof of citizenship for a voter to be included in the Bihar voter list. This raises questions about the legality of the Aadhaar card as proof of citizenship for voting, and whether these issues may need to be examined by the highest court again.

The ECI has been criticized for dragging its feet over the issue and displaying a pedantic face. Many of the 65 lakh voters may not have ready redress due to the Aadhaar card not being standalone proof of citizenship. The ECI is responsible for ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to address grievances of affected voters regarding incorrect entries in the voter lists of Bihar.

To mitigate the issue, the ECI is now playing catch up to ensure that the poll rolls are revised in light of claims that may be made before the last date of nominations. The voters left out can exercise their fundamental right to vote, provided they conform to regulations. However, the ECI may not fully recover its credibility of conducting fair elections, but it can take corrective measures to address genuine grievances.

The porous Aadhaar card system sports more holes than Swiss cheese, and if it is to be credible as proof of identity, a greater special intensive revision than the Bihar poll rolls may be needed. The question of where a person can expect to vote - the place of origin or place of normal residence - has been raised due to the Bihar poll rolls issue. These challenges highlight the need for the ECI to address these issues promptly and effectively to maintain public trust in the electoral process.

Voter Recall in Bihar: Ensuring a Fair Second Chance for Eligible Voters to Rejoin the Electoral Rolls