Bihar: EC asks for deletion of criminals' names from voters list

The Election Commission has ordered Bihar administration to start deletion of names from the voters' list of persons against whom non-bailable warrants have been pending for six months or longer. The deletion is to start from August 25.

The state chief electoral officer N K Sinha told rediff.com on Monday that he had written to the district magistrates of all 38 districts in the state to procure the list of absconders by August 22.

• Also read: No photo I-card, no vote in Bihar: EC

The EC's order has come ahead of Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon's two-day visit to Bihar from August 24 to review preparedness for the forthcoming assembly elections in the state.

Sinha said the EC has warned the district magistrates to complete the process within time or to face action. Besides, EC also gave a clear directive to superintendents of police to start arrest of absconders.

• Also read: EC team in Bihar to review poll preparations
  
  

It had noted that as of July 14, as many as 23,616 NBWs were pending for execution. Bihar police chief A R Sinha provided the list to the state electoral officer on August 19 on the order of the EC.

Early this month EC said that under Section 22 of the R P Act, the name of a person, who has ceased to be an ordinary resident in the constituency, could be deleted by the Electoral Registration Officer at any time before the last date for the nomination of candidates from the constituency.