With Bihar set to hold its much-anticipated Assembly elections in the coming months, the Election Commission has initiated a special intensive revision of the state’s voter list. This exercise, being carried out ahead of the formal announcement of the election schedule, is aimed at ensuring the accuracy of the electoral rolls.
However, recent developments have revealed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are not accepting commonly used identification documents such as Aadhaar cards, Voter ID cards, driving licenses, and MGNREGA cards for the purpose of voter list verification. This has sparked questions among the public regarding which documents are considered valid for this crucial process.
Accepted documents for voter list review in Bihar
The Election Commission has clarified that BLOs will only accept the following 11 specific documents for verifying voter eligibility:
- ID cards issued to regular government employees or pensioners.
- Passport.
- Certificates issued by banks, post offices, LIC, etc., before July 1, 1987.
- Birth certificate.
- Educational certificates issued by a recognized board or university.
- Permanent residence certificate.
- Forest rights certificate.
- Caste certificate.
- National Register of Citizens (NRC) document.
- Proof of government land or housing allotment.
- Family register prepared by the state government or local authority.
Opposition raises concerns
The opposition parties in Bihar have expressed concerns over the voter list revision process, alleging that the strict document requirements could lead to a large number of eligible voters being excluded from the electoral rolls. They have termed the move as an attempt to manipulate voter eligibility ahead of the crucial polls.
In response, the Election Commission has maintained that the initiative is intended to ensure that only eligible citizens are included in the voter list, thereby enhancing the transparency and credibility of the election process.
As political tensions rise and preparations intensify, all eyes are on the Election Commission's next steps and the upcoming announcement of the election dates.
