Daijiworld Media Network – Patna
Patna, Sep 1: Hours after the Congress party claimed to have submitted close to 89 lakh complaints regarding alleged irregularities in Bihar’s voter lists, the state’s Chief Election Officer (CEO) refuted the claim, stating that the party failed to follow the proper process prescribed by the Election Commission.
In an official statement released on X, the CEO said that district Congress leaders had recently submitted letters to District Election Officers, seeking deletion of around 89 lakh names from the electoral rolls. However, the CEO clarified that deletions can only be sought under Rule 13 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 through submission of Form 7, accompanied by a sworn declaration.
“The complaints submitted were not in the prescribed format, and the figure of 89 lakh voters remains unverified,” the CEO said, adding that objections must be filed by Booth Level Agents or individuals, as mandated under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
The statement also cited the Supreme Court’s interim order of August 22, which directs that any objections to electoral rolls must strictly follow the prescribed procedure before the concerned Electoral Registration Officer.
Earlier, Congress leader Pawan Khera, while addressing a press conference in Patna, accused the Bihar poll body of refusing to accept complaints from the party’s Booth Level Agents. “Congress has submitted 89 lakh complaints to the Election Commission. But they are not taken from our BLAs, instead they ask individuals to file them. That is why they claim there are zero complaints,” Khera alleged.
He also expressed confidence about Congress winning the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. “We will win these elections. People’s eyes have opened that this is a stolen mandate. They will have to give up power,” Khera told ANI.
Meanwhile, the CEO confirmed that during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025, the Election Commission received 118 claims and objections in total from CPI (ML) Liberation — 103 for exclusion of names and 15 for inclusion.