The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reported that a majority of foreign nationals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar have been found during the current revision of the voter list in Bihar. Field-level officials have found suspected illegal migrants while carrying out house-to-house verification, seriously questioning the purity of the electoral roll.
The ECI has asserted that none of these names will find mention in the final list, which is to be published on September 30, following due enquiries which are to commence after August 1. This action is being taken as part of the Commission’s overall campaign for clean, legal, and accurate voter rolls in India.
House-to-House Checks Reveal Foreign Presence
Bihar’s booth-level officers have made rigorous house-to-house visits as part of the exercise to revise the voter list in the state. The officials say these checks unveiled a “large number” of foreigners residing across the state.
The people who were detected during these visits were said to be from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Their presence has raised alarms in the Commission as this has a direct bearing on the credibility of the electoral process.
Migrants Will be Excluded After August Inquiry
The Election Commission of India informed that the procedure for identifying and establishing their nationality will only start in earnest after August 1. Proper inquiry only after the Commission decides on the legitimacy of their inclusion.
Names identified to belong to illegal migrants will be withheld from the final electoral roll, to be published on September 30. The Commission has emphasized that no foreign national without a proper document will be permitted on the voters’ list.
Nationwide Roll Clean-Up on the Horizon
Officers also indicated that the Bihar exercise is possibly a precursor to a countrywide special revision to seek out and eliminate foreign illegal migrants from India’s rolls.
The Commission will establish the place of birth and lawfulness of each voter, particularly in border states. The revision will deal with cases where infiltration is suspected to have distorted the demographic and political balance.
Safeguarding Electoral Integrity
The Election Commission remains focused on ensuring the integrity of India’s electoral process. With Bihar typically being a trial case for wider national policies, the outcomes here have the potential to drive meaningful policy changes throughout India.
Through heightened scrutiny and cross-checking of identities, the Commission seeks to maintain democratic principles and ensure that only qualified Indian citizens may vote.
