NDA Ally Upendra Kushwaha Expresses Concern About ECI's SIR Exercise in Bihar: Report

Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) leader Upendra Kushwaha, who is also an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has raised concerns about the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise being carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Kushwaha has said that it should be ensured by the ECI that no genuine voter is left out from the voter list.

"Revision of voter lists is nothing new and it has happened in the past too. In my view, the time given by ECI is too short. ECI should have started this exercise one or two years ago considering the population," Kushwaha told the Economic Times.

Kushwaha highlighted the fact that Bihar is a state wherein a lot of its residents are working in different parts of the country but are voters of Bihar.

There is a fear among the migrant voters that they might be excluded from the voter list. The same fear is also among a large section of people residing in the state. There are several people in Bihar who don't have any of the documents mentioned by the ECI. Now there is a panic among such people that their names will be deleted from the electoral roll," Kushwaha told the newspaper.

By expressing concerns about SIR, Kushwaha has become the first NDA leader to question the SIR exercise. Opposition parties have been vocal on the issue, expressing their reservations about the ECI’s exercise.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.