Bihar poll panel issues notices to 300K electors over doubtful citizenship

Poll authorities in Bihar have issued notices to nearly 300K electors with "doubtful citizenship," officials said on Friday.

 

The 300K electors are among the 72.4 million people who have found their names in the draft electoral rolls published on August 1 as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar.

 

Those issued notices are suspected to be from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and even Afghanistan, officials said, citing ground reports.

 

During verification of documents, discrepancies were noted by the electoral registration officers (EROs).

 

Field inquiries were done thereafter and notices were issued, they said.

 

Notices were issued by the EROs largely in East Champaran, West Champaran, Madhubani, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Araria, and Supaul.

 

"These were the districts from where the majority of these cases were identified," an Election Commission (EC) functionary said.

 

According to the poll panel, so far 99.11 per cent of the 72.4 million electors of the state have submitted their documents for verification.

 

The final voter list of Bihar, where assembly polls could be held in November, will be published on September 30.

 

The Supreme Court has now asked the poll authority to accept Aadhaar or any of the 11 listed documents from people seeking inclusion in the voter list.

 

The EC has asked the Supreme Court to repose faith in it for carrying out the SIR of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.