Dipankar Bhattacharya Warns Voter List Revision Threatens India’s Democracy
Massive voter list revision sparks fears of disenfranchisement.
Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of CPI(ML) Liberation, a key player in Bihar’s Grand Alliance, has sounded the alarm on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, labeling it a dangerous assault on India’s electoral integrity. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Bhattacharya called the SIR a “disruptive” move akin to demonetisation, accusing it of paving the way for widespread disenfranchisement and potential vote theft.
“This is a complete betrayal of India’s democratic traditions,” Bhattacharya said, pointing out that the Election Commission (EC) is overstepping its authority by demanding voters prove their citizenship—a first in 75 years of Indian democracy. “The EC is not equipped to judge citizenship. This violates the principle of universal adult franchise,” he argued.The SIR, currently underway in Bihar despite fierce opposition from the Mahagathbandhan, has already led to the deletion of 65 lakh voter names, with an additional three lakh voters receiving notices. Bhattacharya warned that up to two crore voters could be stripped of their voting rights. “This isn’t a hypothetical threat—it’s happening now,” he said.
Strikingly, Bhattacharya noted that the deletions have not targeted “foreign infiltrators” as claimed by the BJP. “The EC’s own data, released after Supreme Court pressure on August 18, shows no Bangladeshi, Nepali, or Myanmarese voters among those removed. The BJP’s narrative is collapsing,” he alleged.Bhattacharya highlighted how public resistance and legal interventions have forced the EC to backtrack on several fronts.
Initially, the EC demanded all eight crore Bihar voters submit forms with photos and documents by July 25, but public outcry led to the scrapping of photo and document requirements. The Supreme Court also compelled the EC to release decentralized deletion lists and accept Aadhaar as a valid document—moves Bhattacharya described as significant victories.
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However, the CPI(ML) Liberation leader cautioned that the threat of electoral fraud remains. “The EC has gone silent on daily updates. A final voter list, prepared in secrecy, could be a disaster,” he warned, calling the entire SIR process “unconstitutional” and predicting irreversible damage if courts don’t intervene soon.Comparing the SIR to demonetisation, Bhattacharya said both were “sudden, arbitrary, and disruptive.” Yet, he remains hopeful: “Just as people overcame demonetisation, Bihar’s voters will resist this and demand change.”
The agitation in Bihar, bolstered by Rahul Gandhi’s press conference exposing alleged fake voters, has sparked a statewide movement. The slogan “vote-thief” has gained traction, raising awareness in Bihar and beyond. Bhattacharya urged other states, particularly West Bengal, to stay vigilant to avoid a similar fate.
In Bengal, Bhattacharya warned that the SIR’s demand for legacy documents disproportionately harms women and refugees, both Hindu and Muslim, who often lack robust paperwork. He accused booth-level officers (BLOs) in Bihar of targeting Muslims and migrants, reflecting deep-seated social and political biases rather than mere clerical errors.
Bhattacharya also took aim at the BJP, alleging its strength lies not in grassroots support but in manipulating administrative machinery. He criticized the NDA government in Bihar for fostering a “criminal-politician-police nexus” amid rampant poverty, unemployment, and debt.
Commenting on Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, Bhattacharya acknowledged its financial and media clout but downplayed its electoral impact. “It’s creating buzz, but votes depend on candidates. I don’t see it making a major dent,” he said.Turning to West Bengal, Bhattacharya stressed the need for a “third political force” to counter the BJP-TMC binary. “If the BJP becomes the sole opposition, Bengal will descend into chaos and sectarian politics. A broad Left front, allied with non-BJP, non-TMC forces, is essential for a democratic alternative,” he said.
Despite the Left-Congress alliance’s electoral decline, Bhattacharya insisted that the demand for a third force remains critical to safeguarding Bengal’s democratic fabric.
