Jharkhand SIR faceoff: BJP agents seek to delete voters, Booth Level Officers raise red flag

In Jharkhand's Godda district, a dispute has emerged during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which has been ongoing since August 5. The controversy involves BJP Booth Level Agents (BLAs) seeking to delete voters from the draft electoral roll, primarily from the minority community. However, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have refused to accept these deletion applications, citing them as not genuine or not procedurally sound.

This stand-off has raised concerns among election officials and has reached the Chief Electoral Officer's desk.

The Indian Express investigated several booths and found that some of the targeted voters have lived in the area for generations and are verified in the 2003 electoral roll. Under the Election Commission's rules, this should prevent their deletion during the SIR. In one instance, a BLA arrived with 75 deletion forms, which the BLO promptly burned on the spot.

The investigation traced 25 such deletion forms to one BJP BLA in Booth No. 9 of Maheshtikri village. The BLO questioned the forms, and the BLA admitted to burning them. Eight interviewed voters expressed fears of being disenfranchised or losing access to government schemes. The BDO of Basantrai, Sriman Marandi, confirmed receiving complaints from four booths and stated that an inquiry report would be submitted after a field verification.