New Delhi [India], July 27 (ANI): Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has revealed that approximately 35 lakh electors are either untraced or have permanently migrated from their registered addresses. The findings have raised significant concerns about the integrity of electoral rolls as the Election Commission of India prepares to conduct a nationwide special intensive revision of the electoral roll.

The massive scale of untraced electors in Bihar has prompted questions about what the national SIR might uncover across India's electoral landscape. Political parties accross the spectrum have repeatedly raised issues regarding the purity of the electoral roll, especially the addition of voters in the recently held assembly election.

It is also pertinant to mention that SIR exercise in Bihar a large number of electors have been found untraceable. Many political analysts have also questioned the integrity of the country's electoral roll, raising concerns about the inclusion of ineligible persons in the electoral roll.

According to government data till 2017, an estimated 2.04 crore Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas are living illegally in India, adding another dimension to concerns about electoral roll accuracy. As of January 1, 2024, India had 96.88 crore registered voters for the General Elections, making the potential implications of a national revision exercise substantial.

The inability to trace such a significant portion of registered electors despite this extensive machinery has highlighted potential systemic issues in voter registration maintenance.

The Election Commission of India announced its decision to extend the Special Intensive Revision nationwide in a June 24 order, stating that the Commission 'has now decided to begin the Special Intensive Revision in the entire country for the discharge of its constitutional mandate to protect the integrity of electoral rolls.'

The schedule for SIR implementation across the rest of the country is expected to be announced in due course. Under the current SIR framework, electors and political parties have from August 1 to September 1 to submit prescribed forms to Electoral Registration Officers for any eligible elector who has been left out, or to file objections.

The issue of illegal migration adds complexity to electoral roll management. The Ministry of Home Affairs estimated in 2016 that approximately 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants are residing in India, while over 40,000 Rohingya immigrants are primarily located in states including Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan.

The ministry acknowledged that, due to the clandestine nature of illegal entry without valid travel documents, maintaining accurate data on their presence remains a challenge. While detection and deportation of illegal migrants is described as an ongoing process, the scale of the challenge and its potential impact on electoral integrity continues to be a matter of national concern. (ANI)