Key Points

The Commission stated that photographs of the handover of the draft electoral roll by District Election Officers (DEOs) and District Magistrates (DMs) from all districts have been made available for media scrutiny to ensure transparency.

According to the ECI, the list of voters who failed to submit the required counting form and those whose names were excluded from the draft list had already been shared at the time of the draft's release.

Despite this, the Commission noted that claims and objections from political parties at the booth level remain negligible.

The ECI detailed the timeline of its data-sharing with political parties on July 18-19, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) shared lists of voters who did not submit the counting form.

On July 21-22, lists of Absent, Dead, and Shifted (ADS) voters were provided to Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of all recognised political parties.

On August 1, with the publication of the draft electoral rolls, booth-wise and constituency-wise lists of unpublished voters were also handed over to political representatives.

The Commission also said that video and testimonial evidence from political party representatives in various districts confirms that these lists were indeed received.

These testimonials, along with minutes of BLO-BLA meetings, have been uploaded to the official social media handles of multiple districts for public and media viewing.

"Spreading misinformation that the voter deletion lists were not shared is completely wrong and misleading. Such claims attempt to cast doubt on a transparent election process," the Commission stated.

The clarification comes amid criticism from opposition leaders who have accused the ECI of withholding key data and enabling voter suppression in Bihar.

However, the Commission's strong rebuttal and release of official documentation appear aimed at countering those allegations ahead of the upcoming state assembly polls.

- IANS