NEW DELHI: Election Commission Monday said all eligible electors left out of Bihar’s draft electoral roll published on Aug 1 can file their claim in Form 6, along with a copy of their Aadhaar, before Sept 1.Similarly, if any ineligible elector has been included in the draft roll, any aggrieved elector of that assembly constituency (AC) can file a specific objection in Form 7 within the same deadline. However, if the aggrieved person is not an elector from that AC, they will be required to file a specific objection along with a declaration/oath, as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 (RER). It is the same declaration that EC has been asking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to submit.EC Monday shared that no applications have been received by any electoral registration officer (ERO) from any persons other than electors of that assembly constituency under Rule 20(3)(b) of RER, 1960.As per the declaration under Rule 20(3)(b), the aggrieved must “affirm and state on oath that the statement I am about to make under Rule 20 of RER concerning name of person proposed for inclusion or exclusion, part no. and serial no. (in the electoral roll) is true to the best of my knowledge and belief” and that “I am not an elector of the said constituency”. The person must also declare that they are aware that a false declaration concerning the electoral roll and submission of false evidence are punishable under Section 31 of R P Act and Section 227 of BNS, respectively.Booth level agents (BLAs) of political parties too can submit claims (collected from aggrieved electors) in Form 6 and file objections in Form 7, along with the prescribed declaration, to the booth level officer. This declaration says that the information being furnished is on the basis of proper verification of the draft electoral roll and any false declaration will invite penal action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (making a false declaration).In an update Monday, EC disclosed that no claims and objections have been received from party BLAs in Bihar, though 45,616 electors have directly filed these, of which 1,348 have been disposed of. Over 1.5 lakh forms have been received from new electors, including six through BLAs.
