Patna (Bihar) [India], October 4 : After the meeting of the Election Commission delegation on Saturday, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation leader Kumar Parvez said that they conveyed to the poll body that elections should be held in two phases.
He further said that the party wants the Election Commission (EC) to clarify the final SIR list and provide details on the 3,66,000 voters whose names were deleted, including reasons for removal.
Speaking to reporters, Kumar Parvez said, "Our first demand is that the EC clarify the final SIR list... We also insist the EC publish details of the 366,000 voters whose names were deleted, including reasons and basis for removal. Our second demand relates to the new voters who have been added... We asked the EC to identify incorrectly deleted names, individuals who filed objections, and the number of names added. It's unclear why the deducted and new names are combined, as both are needed for Form 6. Please provide separate lists..."
The CPI-ML leader said that the party has also sought clarification on the sex ratio of Bihar as mentioned in the voter list following completion of SIR.
Parvez said, "Our third demand was to understand the sex ratio in Bihar. The census shows 914 women per 1,000 men, but the SIR lists 892. We asked the EC if the number of women had fallen or if more names had been deleted. EC said they will investigate..."
"We prioritised that our polling agents receive Form 17C and stated elections should be in two phases... We requested booths in poor Dalit and minority areas, using mobile booths if needed. We also demanded an end to appointing Presiding Officers from dominant castes instead of weaker communities..." he added.
Under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, discussions were successfully held with all the recognised political parties of Bihar, along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar Vinod Singh Gunjyal and senior officers of the Commission.
During the interaction, the Election Commission stated that political parties are the cornerstone of democracy and that all parties should ensure their participation at every stage of a transparent electoral process.
The EC urged voters to celebrate the festival of elections with harmony and respect, and to experience the transparency of the elections. It also urged political parties to ensure that they nominate polling agents at every polling booth.
Political parties thanked the EC for taking "historic, transparent, and firm" measures to purify the electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and reiterated their complete commitment and faith in the electoral process.
They also thanked the EC for setting a maximum number of voters per polling station at 1,200.
Moreover, representatives from various political parties demanded that elections be conducted immediately after the Chhath festival to ensure maximum voter participation and suggested holding the elections in as minimum phases as possible.
The parties also appreciated several recent initiatives by the Election Commission, including reforms related to the counting of postal ballots and the use of Form 17C.
All political parties reiterated their complete trust in the Election Commission and expressed confidence that the upcoming Bihar elections would be conducted in a free, fair, and fully transparent manner.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the dates for the Bihar Assembly polls today.