Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram has sharply criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of misusing its authority in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, while also raising concerns over reports of large-scale voter additions in Tamil Nadu.
In a strongly worded post on the social media platform X on Sunday, Chidambaram wrote, "The SIR exercise is getting curiouser and curiouser. While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of 'adding' 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu is alarming and patently illegal."
He was referring to the ECI-led SIR exercise in Bihar, where a massive voter verification and correction drive has raised fears of potential large-scale deletions, especially affecting migrant workers. According to figures made public in July, around 65 lakh names have reportedly been removed from Bihar's draft electoral roll.
Chidambaram alleged that migrant workers are being unfairly treated in the process, both in terms of exclusion from Bihar and questionable inclusion in other states.
"Calling them 'permanently migrated' is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice. Why should the migrant worker not return to Bihar (or his/her home state) to vote in the State Assembly election, as they usually do?" he added, pointing out that many do return for festivals like Chhath Puja.
"A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home. The migrant worker has such a home in Bihar... how can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu?"
He directly accused, "The ECI is abusing its powers and trying to change the electoral character and patterns of states. This abuse of powers must be fought politically and legally."
The Special Intensive Revision in Bihar has come under growing scrutiny from opposition parties, including the Congress and the RJD, who fear that the exercise is being used to selectively remove voters ahead of the upcoming state Assembly polls.
The Supreme Court has allowed the SIR to proceed while issuing stern warnings that it will intervene should evidence of mass exclusion arise. The court also recommended that the ECI accept documents such as Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards to broaden access.
Tejashwi Yadav, an RJD leader, recently stirred controversy by claiming that his name was missing from the draft roll, prompting the ECI to clarify that his name does appear in the updated list and that no request from him or other RJD leaders had been received to re‑add names.
(With inputs from IANS)
