After the first special intensive revision (SIR) of its electoral roll in more than 20 years, the polls in Bihar went smoothly and peacefully with the highest turnout ever.
This is expected to boost the Election Commission's confidence as it moves forward with Phase 2 of SIR across a dozen states and Union territories, including those scheduled for assembly polls next.
The overwhelming turnout for the SIR and Bihar elections is interpreted as a clear sign that the opposition's "vote chori" campaign, spearheaded by the Congress and bolstered by Rahul Gandhi through his "vote adhikar" yatra in the state, press conferences, and even personal attacks against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, did not resonate with the public. The Congress's meager six seats support the assessment.
Fearing that SIR will disenfranchise voters from disadvantaged sections and minorities, the Supreme Court even declined to consider the requests of opposition parties and campaigners to stay and invalidate SIR in Bihar. Naturally, their thesis has been disproved by the high turnout of these very groups in the Bihar election.
In his victory address on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited the high turnout in Bihar, especially from the poorer segments, as a major accomplishment of the EC, along with the removal of repolls, which were a hallmark of elections under the "jungle raj" era.
He recounted how voting had previously been halted at 3 PM due to security concerns in electoral places affected by Naxalism.
He claimed that this time, voters cast their ballots in an overwhelming and brave manner, eliminating previous recollections of ballot boxes being looted.
Modi declared, "I congratulate the EC, poll related officers, security forces, and electors for this." Crucially, he emphasized that Bihar voters, especially the younger ones, had demonstrated that they took SIR very seriously.
"Every vote matters for the purity of democracy," he declared, urging the party apparatus at the voting station level to fully support SIR elsewhere.
"The zero appeals against the final electoral roll of Bihar, not a single request for repoll from the 2,616 candidates or 12 recognized parties, and the highest polling since Bihar's first election in 1951 show the precision and commitment with which EC and its ground machinery have worked to deliver a free, fair, and peaceful election," : Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This is the most significant validation for EC.
Rahul Gandhi's remarks and AI generated ads on Congress's social media accounts specifically attacked Kumar regarding SIR and purported abnormalities in the rolls of previous elections in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana.
Nevertheless, EC showed perseverance by refuting each criticism with facts and citing pertinent legal provisions that supported its decisions and actions.
With daily bulletins and fact-checks, transparency at every stage of SIR enumeration, claims and objections, and their resolution ensured a direct line of communication with the electors who voluntarily engaged in SIR and guaranteed that all deadlines were fulfilled.
