Election Commission to Make Special Arrangements for “Dignified” Identification of Women Voters in Burqa in Bihar

The Election Commission on Friday announced that special arrangements will be made at polling stations in Bihar to ensure the “dignified” identification of women voters wearing burqa or purdah, ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.

In a statement, the poll panel said that to encourage participation of “purdanasheen” women, arrangements will be made for identity verification in the presence of lady polling officers or attendants, while safeguarding the privacy of the voters.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, during a press conference on Monday announcing the Bihar election schedule, said Anganwadi workers will be deployed at all polling booths to assist in verifying the identity of burqa-clad voters. “Our Anganwadi workers will be deployed at all polling booths for verifying the identity of burqa-clad women. The guidelines of the commission are very clear about how identity is verified inside a polling station, and they will be strictly followed,” Kumar said.

The Election Commission had earlier announced that up to 90,712 Anganwadi Sevikas will be engaged on poll duty.

Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal had urged the Commission to ensure that the faces of women arriving at polling booths in burqas be matched with voter ID cards.

The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases — November 6 and November 11 — for 243 constituencies, with counting of votes scheduled for November 14.