POLITICAL PARTIES ARE SILENT ON BIHAR VOTER LIST REVISION

POLITICAL PARTIES ARE SILENT ON BIHAR VOTER LIST REVISION

12-AUG-ENG 12

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------The process of special intensive revision of voters (Bihar SIR) is going on before the Bihar assembly elections, but the silence of political parties regarding this important process is surprising. While on the one hand the common voters are showing activism with their claims and objections, none of the six national and six regional parties of the state have lodged a single claim or objection so far. This situation raises many questions as to why political parties seem to be lagging behind in this election preparation. Verbal response of parties, silence on paper Reactions of political parties are coming out every day regarding the draft voter list released by the Election Commission after the revision of voters, but these reactions are only verbal. No political party has come forward on paper to question this process of the Election Commission. This contradiction shows that although statements are being made on election issues, no party is officially avoiding being a part of this process. Common voters are active In contrast to the silence of political parties, common voters are fully active in this process. Claims and objections were sought on the draft voter list released after revision of voters from August 1. Till August 11, common voters have lodged 10,570 claims and objections regarding deletion or inclusion of names. This figure shows how aware the common public is about their voting rights. Out of these, 127 objections have also been resolved, while the process is going on on the rest. Inactivity of major parties It is surprising that the ruling BJP, which has deployed 53,338 booth level agents (BLAs), and the main opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which has appointed 47,506 BLAs, both have not lodged a single claim or objection. Despite having such a large number of agents working on the ground, the inaction of these parties is beyond comprehension. This raises the question whether these parties did not find any discrepancy in the voter list or is it part of some strategy. Thousands of new voters eager According to the data released by the Election Commission, 54,432 new voters aged 18 years and above have submitted Form 6 to add their names to the voter list. This shows that the young generation is eager to exercise their franchise. This is a positive sign which reflects the faith of the youth in democracy. This figure is also a message for political parties to understand the needs and desires of the voters. Impact on democratic process The political parties staying away from this process can raise questions on the election results in future. If no steps are taken to improve the voter list before the election, it can also affect the credibility of the election. In a healthy democracy, all stakeholders should be a part of the process. This situation not only raises questions about the responsibility of political parties, but also poses a challenge for the Election Commission to encourage everyone to participate in the process.