Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 3: Senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of political manipulation and misuse of power following large-scale deletions and additions in the electoral rolls of Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Chidambaram described the developments as "curiouser and curiouser," raising serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in both states ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.
According to official data, the poll body has reportedly deleted 65 lac names from the Bihar electoral rolls—of which 22.34 lac were marked as deceased, 36.28 lac listed as permanently shifted, and 7.01 lac flagged as duplicate entries. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu is witnessing an addition of 6.5 lac migrant workers to its voter rolls, allegedly under the guise of "permanent migration".
Chidambaram questioned the legality and fairness of the process. “How did the ECI determine someone is dead or permanently migrated? Was any proof or family verification conducted?” he asked, adding that the mass deletions could disenfranchise a significant population in Bihar and tamper with electoral integrity.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and RJD, have raised strong objections, claiming the SIR is being misused to engineer a political outcome.
Turning his attention to Tamil Nadu, Chidambaram called the reported voter inclusion of migrant workers “alarming and patently illegal,” arguing that it insults the rights of the Tamil electorate. “A migrant worker from Bihar cannot be considered a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu just because of temporary employment. They return home for Chhath Puja and other festivals. So why strip their right to vote in their native state?” he posed.
He further warned that calling migrant workers “permanently migrated” is a gross interference in the democratic process, and insisted that the matter be resisted both politically and legally.
A slew of demands has been put forth by Opposition parties, including:
• Assembly-wise breakup of deleted voters in digital format,
• Clarification on the removal of foreign nationals if any,
• Details on how many voter entries lacked proper ID or photographs, and
• An explanation for the rejection of Aadhaar and ration cards as valid identification.
Meanwhile, a series of petitions challenging the SIR process are currently under consideration in the Supreme Court, which has already expressed concern over “en masse exclusion” of voters. The apex court has also directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as a valid document for voter verification.
The controversy comes close on the heels of another flashpoint, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were rigged, citing a party survey in Karnataka that claimed to find 1.5 lac fake votes in a constituency with 6.5 lac voters.
The Election Commission hit back strongly, calling Gandhi’s statements “unfounded, misleading, and irresponsible.” It noted that the electoral rolls were shared with all political parties prior to elections and open to challenge under the Representation of the People Act—yet very few objections were filed.
The Commission also clarified that it had extended an invitation to Rahul Gandhi for a meeting on June 12, but received no response or formal complaint. “Allegations made without basis only serve to discredit the transparent and diligent work of election officials,” it said.
As legal and political battles continue to simmer, the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar and Tamil Nadu has become the latest flashpoint in the debate over electoral fairness and democratic rights in the country.