Absurd to link SIR in Bihar with Tamil Nadu, says Election Commission

Rejecting contentions linking the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) under way in Bihar with the “adding” of about 6.5 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that the SIR has not yet been rolled out in the latter State. “It is, therefore, absurd to connect the SIR exercise in Bihar with Tamil Nadu. Such peddling of false statements with respect to the SIR should be avoided,” the Commission said in a social media post.

The post, seeking to check facts in light of the charges made by former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, said, there was no need for political leaders to spread “false information” with respect to the SIR exercisce being conducted by the ECI at the national level. “As far as voters, who have permanently shifted from Bihar to other States and are ‘ordinarily residents’ in those States, are concerned, the exact figures can be known only after the SIR has been conducted,” the Commission said.

Referring to provisions in the Constitution of India and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Commission said the enrolment of voters was with respect to the constituency in which they are ‘ordinarily resident’. The Commission further explained: “It is for the voters to come forward and get enrolled in the constituency where they are eligible.”

With regard to contentions being spread about the reported enrolment of 6.5 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu, the Commission termed them as “false figures”. “[The] SIR has not yet been rolled out in T.N. [Tamil Nadu]. It is therefore absurd to connect the SIR exercise in Bihar with T.N. Such peddling of false statements with respect to the SIR should be avoided,” the Commission said in the post.

Citing Article 19(1)(e) of the Constitution and Section 19(b) of the Representation of People Act, 1950, the Commission said every person who was ‘ordinarily resident’ in a constituency shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll of that constituency. Section 20 of the RP Act, 1950, has provided the meaning of ‘ordinarily resident’.

“Therefore, a person originally belonging to Tamil Nadu, but is ordinarily residing in Delhi, is entitled to be registered as an elector in Delhi. Similarly, a person originally belonging to Bihar, but is ordinarily residing in Chennai, is entitled to be registered as an elector in Chennai,” the Commission explained. It further rejected the contentions made by some political leaders over this issue as “misleading and baseless.”