New Delhi: As the Election Commission of India continues with its controversial exercise of the electoral rolls revision in poll bound Bihar through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s key ally and the second largest constituent member of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, has written to the poll body, asking it to ensure that the SIR is limited to matters pertaining to electoral roll correction and it should be made clear that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification.

In its letter seen by The Wire, the TDP has said the "purpose of SIR must be clearly defined and limited to electoral roll correction” and “should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification.”

The letter was submitted to the Election Commission after a TDP delegation met the poll body on Tuesday (July 15). 

'Purpose of SIR must be clearly defined and limited to electoral roll correction and inclusion'

The letter states that SIR provides “a valuable opportunity to ensure that the electoral rolls are updated in a fair, inclusive and transparent manner.”

“The purpose of SIR must be clearly defined and limited to electoral roll correction and inclusion. It should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification, and any field instructions must reflect this distinction,” it says.

The letter further states that voters who are already enrolled in the most recent certified electoral roll should not be required to re-establish their eligibility unless specific and verifiable reasons are recorded.

“In line with the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Lal Babu Hussein v. Electoral Registration Officer, prior inclusion creates a presumption of validity, and any deletion must be preceded by a valid inquiry. The burden of proof lies with the ERO or objector, not the voter, especially when the name exists in the official roll.”

It also says that “the SIR process should be conducted with sufficient lead time, ideally not within six months of any major election”.

The letter comes at a time when questions are being raised on the SIR being conducted in Bihar, which requires all existing voters, who were not on the rolls in 2003 to provide proof of their and their parents citizenship.

Questions have been raised about the practicality of the exercise just months ahead of the elections, triggering concerns around mass disenfranchisement, exclusion and whether the poll body itself is being used to usher in the National Register for Citizens (NRC).

Concerns have been raised that the exercise may lead to exclusions in Bihar, a state with a large migrant worker population.

TDP raises concerns about exclusion of migrant workers and displaced families

The TDP letter said that Andhra Pradesh has high levels of seasonal migration, particularly from rural and coastal regions. Accordingly it has suggested that the exercise "should deploy mobile BLO (Block-level officer) units and accept temporary address declarations to prevent exclusion of migrant workers and displaced families.”

It has also said that the Commission must ensure that voter deletions follow "reasoned order with due notice, and to allow stage-wise verification."

The letter written by TDP MP and floor leader in the Lok Sabha, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, has also been signed by MPs Byreddy Shabari and D Prasada Rao, and TDP Andhra Pradesh state president Palla Srinivasa Rao as well as national spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari.

Speaking to The Wire, Tirunagari said that the party delegation met the Election Commission to express its views regarding the SIR as the poll body is taking views from all registered parties.

“We have expressed our views, suggestions and concerns. We are looking for technology driven advancement and proper training to BLOs. There have been slight hiccups that have come to light. We have said that voting cannot be linked with citizenship. You have to look for alternate measures. There has to be a redressal mechanism. Apart from that we have given general suggestions and the commission has addressed our concerns,” she said.

The letter also calls for conducting annual third-party audits under the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to identify anomalies in electoral voter roll verification, use of Al-driven tools to flag duplication, migration, and deceased entries in real time, ensuring  time-bound grievance redressal mechanism at the BLO/ERO (Block-level officer/Electoral Registration Officer) to promptly rectify wrongful exclusions.

While Aadhaar was not included by the Election Commission in the 11 documents that must be provided for the SIR in Bihar, the TDP in its letter has called for rectification of duplicate EPIC numbers with the help of Aadhar.

'Prevent disenfranchisement of mobile populations'

"Expedite the issuance of unique, non-replicating EPIC numbers nationwide. Allow Aadhaar-based cross-verification with robust data privacy protections. Replace the ink-based verification process with a biometric verification process," the letter says.

In addition, the party in its letter has also asked for mandatory involvement of Booth Level Agents (BLA) of all political parties throughout the revision process, and recommended that district-wise data on voter additions and deletions with explanations be published on the ECI portal along with implementing a real-time public dashboard for tracking voter grievances and their resolution.

Other recommendations include penalties for inaction by EROS (Electoral Registration Officers) and DEOs (District Election Officers), state-level ombudsman under the Election Commission to handle unresolved grievances, and targeted re-enrolment campaigns for migrant workers, tribal groups and elderly, rotation of BLOs and EROs to prevent local influence or partisan misuse.

"Permit temporary address declarations with basic documentation to prevent disenfranchisement of mobile populations. Hold monthly consultative meetings with recognised political parties at the DEO/ERO level," it says.

Read The Wire's full coverage of the Bihar SIR here.

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