Particle.news
Download on the App Store

ECI Calls Bihar Vote Its 'Best-Ever' as Counting Begins, Faces Questions on Elector Surge

Critics demand explanations for the rise in electors reported between the two polling phases.

Overview

  • The Election Commission said Bihar recorded 67.13% turnout and reported zero repolls and zero appeals during the Special Intensive Revision, calling the exercise its best performance.
  • ECI press notes cited 7,43,55,976 electors on November 6 and 7,45,26,858 on November 11, a rise that CPIML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya contrasted with the 7.42 crore figure published after the SIR.
  • The Commission allowed the Bihar government to disburse second and third tranches of a Rs 10,000 Jeevika cash transfer between November 1 and 11, a decision opponents say conflicts with the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act.
  • The ECI stated that 1.80 lakh Jeevika Didis from self-help groups were used on both polling days alongside about 4.5 lakh polling staff, without detailing their specific roles or rationale for deployment.
  • Allegations reported by journalists and opposition figures include BJP functionaries funding travel for migrant voters and cases of party office-bearers voting in Bihar despite residence elsewhere, with the ECI yet to issue clarifications.