AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi met the Election Commission of India Monday and raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision being carried out in Bihar. He told the panel the exercise was being carried out without consultations with political parties and that it was also a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality.
“The first point we made was that political parties were not consulted for the SIR being conducted,” Owaisi told reporters after his meeting at Nirvachan Sadan. “We have asked the EC why they don’t consider the 2024 voter list as the qualifying one. We have voted in 2024, and now, in 2025, you are asking for documents… You are creating two classes of voters which is a violation of Article 14. You can’t give a reasonable justification.”
In a statement, the EC said that CEC Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi had an interaction with an AIMIM delegation led by Owaisi and received their suggestions.
Flagging concerns he shared with the poll panel, Owaisi told reporters the SIR exercise was being conducted in a very short span of time: “If someone’s name is removed from the voter list, it’s not just about losing the right to vote, it affects their livelihood as well.”
“Our main concern is how the Election Commission plans to carry out such an exercise in such a short time. This will directly impact the people. We have presented these issues to the Election Commission, emphasising the practical challenges and the potential hardship it could cause for citizens,” he said.
“There is migration too. Those who change their address. You are asking for birth certificates,” Owaisi said. “If in a hurry, if names of 15-20 per cent are missed. Then, it will become a citizenship issue. It will be like Assam D-voter (Doubtful voter). This is an apprehension and it is genuine.”
