Election Commission Press Conference Live Updates: Decision On SIR In West Bengal Or Other States Will Be Taken By All Three Election Commissioners

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "Some people are misleading that why the SIR exercise is being carried out in such a hurry? Should the voter list be rectified before or after the elections? The Election Commission is not saying this; the Representation of the People Act says that you have to rectify the voter list before every election. This is the legal responsibility of the Election Commission. Then the question arose whether the Election Committee would be able to reach more than seven crore voters of Bihar? The truth is that the work started on 24th June. The entire process was completed by about the 20th of July..."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "Duplicate EPICs can happen in two ways. One, that a person who is in West Bengal, who is a different person, has one EPIC number and another person who is in Haryana has the same EPIC number. When this question came up around March 2025, we discussed it and we solved it across the country. About three lakh such people were found, whose EPIC number were the same, so their EPIC numbers were changed. The second type of duplication comes when the name of the same person is in the voter list at more than one place and his EPIC number is different. That is, one person, many EPICs... Before 2003, if you wanted to get your name deleted from the old place, then there was no website of the Election Commission, which had all the data at one place... So, since technical facilities were not available before 2003, many such people who migrated to different places, their names were added to many places. Then a question arose that today there is a website, there is a computer, you can select and delete it. The Election Commission stands like a rock with the voters... So, if this is done in a hurry, then any voter's name can be deleted wrongly. Someone else's name will be deleted in your place..."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "...I want to make it clear that according to the Constitution of India, only Indian citizens can vote for the election of MP and MLA. People from other countries do not have the right. If such people have filled out the enumeration form, then during the SIR process, they will have to prove their nationality by submitting some documents. Their names will be removed after the investigation"

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "...I want to make it clear that according to the Constitution of India, only Indian citizens can vote for the election of MP and MLA. People from other countries do not have the right. If such people have filled out the enumeration form, then during the SIR process, they will have to prove their nationality by submitting some documents. Their names will be removed after the investigation"

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "Even after the returning officer declares the results, there is a provision in the law that within a period of 45 days, political parties can go to the Supreme Court and file an election petition to challenge the election. After this 45-day period, making such baseless allegations, be it in Kerala, Karnataka, or Bihar. When that 45-day period after the elections is over and during that period, no candidate or political party finds any irregularity, then today, after so many days, the voters and people of the country understand the intention behind making such baseless allegations..."

Election Commission Stands Like A Rock With Every Voter, Without Discrimination : ECI

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "The doors of the Election Commission are always open for everyone equally. At the ground level, all the voters, all the political parties and all the booth-level officers are working together in a transparent manner, verifying, signing and also giving video testimonials. It is a matter of serious concern that these verified documents, testimonials of the district presidents of political parties and the BLOs nominated by them are either not reaching their own state level or national level leaders or an attempt is being made to spread confusion by ignoring the ground reality. The truth is that step by step all the stakeholders are committed, trying and working hard to make the SIR of Bihar a complete success. When more than seven crore voters of Bihar are standing with the Election Commission, then neither can any question mark be raised on the credibility of the Election Commission nor on the credibility of the voters."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "We saw a few days ago that photos of many voters were presented to the media without their permission. Allegations were made against them, they were used. Should the Election Commission share the CCTV videos of any voter including their mothers, daughters-in-law, daughters? Only those whose names are in the voter list cast their votes to elect their candidate..."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "Some voters alleged double voting. When asked for proof, no answer was given. Neither the Election Commission nor any voter is afraid of such false allegations. When politics is being done by targeting the voters of India by keeping a gun on the shoulder of the Election Commission, today the Election Commission wants to make it clear to everyone that the Election Commission fearlessly stood like a rock with all the voters of all sections and all religions including the poor, rich, elderly, women, youth without any discrimination, is standing and will continue to stand."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "...SIR has been started in Bihar. 1.6 lakh Booth Level Agents(BLA) have prepared a draft list...As this draft list was being prepared in every booth, the Booth Level Agents of all political parties verified it with their signatures...Voters have submitted a total of 28,370 claims and objections..."

Every Individual who are 18 years old or above that should take part in voting procedure: ECI