INDIA bloc alleges over 5,000 UP residents included in Bihar electoral rolls, EC denies

The INDIA bloc alleged that "more than 5,000" residents of Uttar Pradesh have been registered as voters in an adjoining district of Bihar by the Election Commission for the benefit of the ruling NDA in the upcoming assembly polls in the eastern state.

The commission rejected the allegation, claiming that the figure of doubtful voters was "imaginary".

Congress national general secretary Randeep Surjewala and RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha made the allegation at a press conference in Phulparas in Madhubani district on Tuesday.

They alleged that the "doubtful" voters have been registered mostly in the Valmiki Nagar assembly segment of West Champaran district, citing the name of a 45-year-old man, who has been included in the electoral rolls despite having been an elector of Khadda constituency in Kushinagar district of UP.

However, the claim was debunked by the West Champaran district administration in a statement, which was shared by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer here.

The statement pointed out "it is a draft electoral roll that has been published by the EC on August 1 and not the final voters' list. The very purpose of draft rolls is to invite claims and objections with regard to duplications or any other discrepancies".

"Moreover, in the press conference, the figure of more than 5,000 doubtful voters has been bandied about without any further details or evidence. It seems to be an imaginary figure which does not lend itself to verification," said the administration.

It added, "Many times, in Valmiki Nagar, because a change in the course of rivers, people get forced to change their address, and this results in one person registered at more than one place. The special intensive revision is aimed at removing such discrepancies." The administration also clarified that Chhedi Ram, the Khadda voter cited by Surjewala and Jha, was included in the draft electoral rolls and "he has already moved an application for deletion of his name" from the UP assembly constituency.