EC announced Bihar polls without addressing complaints regarding omissions from electoral rolls: CPI(M)

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) The Election Commission (EC) has announced the Bihar polls without finding remedial measures for complaints regarding "omissions" in the electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the CPI(M) said on Monday.

The Left party also claimed that millions of voters were removed from the state's electoral rolls following the SIR.

"The EC is holding the Bihar Assembly election without properly finding remedial measures for the complaints of omission and commission committed by it with regard to rightful voters," CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby told PTI Videos.

"Millions of voters, genuine voters, are removed from the electoral lot on different pretexts," he said.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader pointed out that the Supreme Court has given clear-cut directions that bona-fide voters removed from the voter list should be given a proper opportunity and time to apply for re-inclusion. "The EC is behaving in a manner which is quite unsatisfactory and objectionable," he added.

Baby said Bihar is going to witness "the first election in the history of our country where the umpire, that is the Election Commission, is found being part of one side, one team in the contest, that is the ruling party".

"The EC has not succeeded in exonerating itself from the complaints that it is behaving in a partial manner, helping the ruling party at the Centre," he said.

Baby said the Mahagathbandhan of opposition parties is a powerful force in Bihar, adding that seat-sharing talks among the constituents of the alliance are on.

He alleged that the ruling NDA in Bihar is "trying to bribe the voters" by declaring various schemes of providing financial assistance to different sections of the society.

"But people are politically literate. Therefore, they can see through the manner in which the Nitish Kumar government is behaving, which is undemocratic," Baby said.

Bihar will go to polls in two phases -- on November 6 and 11 -- and the counting of votes will be taken up on November 14, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Monday. PTI AO RC