On June 24, ECI announced that it will hold a special intensive revision of voter rolls in Bihar, which will require voters in Bihar to prove their citizenship, an eligibility criterion to be a voter in India under Section 23 of the Representation of People’s Act. 

However, the way this exercise is being carried out is unclear, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa told Newslaundry’s Sumedha Mittal in an exclusive interview. 

Speaking about the gaps in the way the ECI is carrying out the special intensive revision (SIR), Lavasa said, “Firstly, the ECI has not clarified whether people are required to submit necessary documents or the enumeration forms are enough for them to be included in the draft roll.” 

In the absence of these documents, Lavasa asks, how will booth-level officers make recommendations on the voter’s eligibility? 

“Will it tantamount to saying that the person who is not included in the voter list is not a citizen? What will be the consequences?... Will these cases go to various tribunals to decide the citizenship of the voter?... Because under the Citizenship Act, ECI is not the authority to decide citizenship.” 

When asked if the ECI should have made the process clear before going for this exercise, he replied, “Yes, that is the expectation. The Election Commission has been known for its consultative approach. The number of petitions that have been filed in the court is an indication that obviously people feel that they have not been consulted or they were not prepared so soon for this massive exercise.”

Watch.