In Bihar, forms, fear and the right to vote

Election Commission faces challenges in a voter verification drive, as many lack required documents, raising fears of disenfranchisement ahead of elections

Hajipur/Saran/Danapur/Patna:

Patna District Magistrate Tyagrajan SM inspecting Mahadalit Tola of Shrirampur Panchayat of Korhar village of Bihta block and the progress in the distribution and collection of counting forms under the special intensive revision campaign of the electoral list at Bihta in Patna, Bihar, on July 2. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

Jitender Kumar navigates the noisy and crowded main market in Danapur, Bihar like a man on a mission. Which the primary school teacher is. He is also behind schedule, despite setting out at 8 am. Then he’s at his next stop, a house in front of the kind of shopping complex that multinationals should have wiped out but couldn’t. He hollers, “Hum aa gaye hain (I am here)” as he walks past mounds of trash. Inside, there is commotion.