New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday issued a sharp reminder to political parties about their role in ensuring error-free voter lists, stating that “some political parties and their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) did not examine the Electoral Rolls at the “appropriate time” and are now raising issues about errors, including those in rolls prepared in the past.

The Commission emphasised that India’s electoral roll preparation is a “multi-layered decentralised construct” involving Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who are responsible for the correctness of rolls.

After the draft voter lists are published, both digital and physical copies are shared with all political parties and uploaded on the ECI website, allowing a full month for claims and objections.

“Had these issues been raised at the right time through the right channels, it would have enabled the concerned SDMs/EROs to correct the mistakes, if genuine, before those elections,” the ECI stated.

The Commission reiterated that it “continues to welcome the scrutiny of Electoral Rolls by political parties and electors” as it helps in purifying the rolls.

The clarification comes amid political heat over voter list discrepancies in Bihar, where the opposition has accused the poll panel of lapses.

The timing is significant, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to launch his yatra in Bihar tomorrow, a move expected to escalate the political spotlight on the state’s electoral processes.

The ECI detailed that transparency remains the hallmark of the electoral roll preparation process.

With Rahul Gandhi’s yatra expected to draw large crowds and extensive media attention, the issue of voter roll accuracy is likely to remain at the forefront of Bihar’s political discourse in the coming days.

–IANS

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