New Delhi [India], August 12 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh has given a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to discuss alleged constitutional and electoral concerns over Bihar's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, claiming it demands "documents of a tough nature" from about eight crore voters, making it difficult for migrant workers, students, and poorer sections ahead of the 2025 assembly elections.
In the notice submitted to the Secretary-General, the MP said, "While regular and transparent revision of voter lists is the cornerstone of our democratic system, the nature of this process being adopted in Bihar appears to be worrisome and inequality-promoting at many levels, especially when we see it in the backdrop of the likely assembly elections in the year 2025."
The MP highlighted that the revision process demands "documents of a tough nature" from approximately eight crore voters in the state, creating significant difficulties for migrant workers, students, and economically weaker sections who primarily possess only an Aadhaar card. The government has recognised Aadhaar as a universal identity proof, yet it is reportedly not accepted in this revision.
"It is unfortunate that citizens included in the voter list after the year 2003 are now also being asked to provide proof of date of birth and place of birth of their parents. This is an expectation that is virtually impossible for rural, uneducated and socially disadvantaged communities, as they have neither formal birth certificates, nor school records, nor administrative access to obtain such documents," Sanjay Singh said in his letter.
Further, the notice pointed out that the assurance of remote voting for migrant workers, promised in January 2023, has seemingly failed.
He further added, "The assurance of remote voting to migrant workers in January 2023 not only appears to have failed, but they now also face the risk of being removed from the voters' list due to their temporary absence. This situation is contrary to the fundamental values of democracy that talk about ensuring maximum participation of citizens. This not only violates the universal suffrage enshrined in Article 326 of the Constitution, but also hurts the credibility of our democracy."