‘Alarming, unlawful’: Chidambaram flags voter shifts; questions EC over migrant inclusion in TN, mass deletions in Bihar | India Information – Instances of India

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress chief P Chidambaram on Sunday slammed the Election Fee of India (ECI) for including roughly 6.5 lakh “migrant staff” to the electoral roll of Tamil Nadu, whereas round 65 lakh individuals have been termed “completely migrated” and have been faraway from Bihar’s voter listing.He referred to as the transfer below the Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) train “alarming” and “patently unlawful,” describing it as an abuse of energy by the ballot physique, which should be “fought politically and legally.”

In a collection of posts on social media platform X, the previous dwelling minister requested, how did the ECI decide that lakhs of people listed in Bihar’s present electoral rolls ought to be eliminated for ‘completely migrating’ out of the state?He additional added, earlier than reaching any such conclusion, an intensive investigation should be finished on a case-by-case foundation. And the way can any such enquiry be carried out in a length of 30 days involving over 37 lakh individuals?Chidambaram wrote: “Each Indian has a proper to stay and work in any state the place he has a everlasting dwelling. That’s apparent and proper. How did the ECI come to the conclusion that a number of lakh individuals, whose names are within the present electoral rolls of Bihar, should be excluded as a result of they’d ‘completely migrated’ out of the state? That’s the query. Earlier than you attain the conclusion that an individual has ‘completely migrated’ out of a state, shouldn’t an intensive enquiry be carried out into every case? How might such an enquiry involving 37 lakh individuals have been carried out in a interval of 30 days? Mass disenfranchisement is a critical concern, and that’s the reason the Supreme Court docket is listening to the petitions.”On the addition of migrant staff to the electoral roll of Tamil Nadu, the Congress veteran questioned why the migrants shouldn’t return to their states for voting, drawing an analogy with individuals returning to Bihar for festivals like “Chhath Puja.”He wrote, “Why ought to the migrant employee not return to Bihar (or his/her dwelling state) to vote within the State Meeting election, as they normally do? Doesn’t the migrant employee return to Bihar on the time of the Chhath Puja competition?”The senior chief mentioned calling them “completely migrated” is an insult to the migrant staff and a gross interference in the precise of the voters of Tamil Nadu to elect a authorities of its selection.The previous Union minister additionally requested how individuals with a authorized dwelling in Bihar have been registered as voters in Tamil Nadu.“An individual to be enrolled as a voter should have a hard and fast and everlasting authorized dwelling. The migrant employee has such a house in Bihar (or one other state). How can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu? If the migrant employee’s household has a everlasting dwelling in Bihar and lives in Bihar, how can the migrant employee be thought of as ‘completely migrated’ to Tamil Nadu?” the publish added on X.Chidambaram accused the Election Fee of overstepping its authority. “The ECI is abusing its powers and attempting to alter the electoral character and patterns of states. This abuse of powers should be fought politically and legally @CMOTamilnadu,” he added.