With the Election Commission of India set to publish Bihar’s electoral roll draft today, a two-member JD(U) delegation met a five-member ECI team, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, yesterday to submit some observations and suggestions.
The ECI team is learnt to have told the JD(U) that “Bihar was chosen to begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for its symbolic importance of Vaishali being the first seat of the Republic”. The ECI also sought the cooperation of Bihar MPs to make SIR a success.
In the JD(U) delegation were its national general secretary Aafaque Ahmad Khan and former Rajya Sabha MP Anil Hegde. The ECI has been meeting representatives of each political party to discuss SIR.
In a letter addressed to the CEC, Khan wrote, “Our party would like to make the following observations based on feedback received from the ground. Our party has come across several instances wherein members belonging to the same family, living in the same house, have been registered as voters not only in two different booths two kilometres apart, but in two different Assembly constituencies, causing inconvenience particularly on the day of election… We understand that, in the absence of an option for the elector in Form 6 to opt for a particular pooling booth, the officials concerned mostly fail to get members of the same family registered in the same polling booth.”
“One other point we want to bring to your kind consideration is for the increase in permission for the number of vehicles to office bearers of political parties at the state and district level during the period of election, once the model code of conduct is in force. Presently, the ECI has made provision of permission for one vehicle each for a maximum of five office bearers at the state level, and one vehicle at the district level. We request you to kindly increase the same to 20 and 5, respectively.”
A JD(U) leader said it was a “coincidence that we were given time by the ECI a day before the draft roll publication”.
“We are sure that this initiative of the Commission, establishing a clear protocol for interaction, developing a streamlined communication methodology, will go a long way in serving the intended purpose of strengthening the relationship with political parties and also help in building a healthy relationship based on mutual respect and better understanding of each other,” Khan wrote.
