As Bihar gears up for a high-stakes electoral showdown, a political storm has erupted over the Election Commission’s decision to revise the voter list, triggering fierce war of words in the poll-bound state. The poll panel has said that the revision activity was needed in Bihar to weed out ineligible names and ensure all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll, allowing them to exercise their franchise in the polls slated later this year.
The mahagathbandhan of the Opposition, INDIA bloc, has knocked on Supreme Court's doors to contest against the decision of the poll panel, calling it unconstitutional and anti-people, and demanding immediate intervention to prevent the alleged removal of lakhs of names from the voter list.
Why the revision?
EC says the special intensive revision (SIR) aims to eliminate duplicate and bogus voters, especially those listed both at permanent and current addresses. EC insists that only residents currently living in an area should be on its voter rolls, in accordance with constitutional norms ensuring that only Indian citizens can vote. The exercise, last conducted in 2003, targets updated enrolment and removal of ineligible entries. Bihar currently has around 7.9 crore registered voters.
What happens to migrants?
Millions of Bihar residents have migrated elsewhere for work or education but remain enrolled in their native constituencies. EC clarifies that names already in the 2003 electoral rolls — available at https:// voters.eci.gov.in — or of their descendants need no documentary proof of ancestry when submitting the fresh enumeration forms being distributed by booth level officers.
Why is Oppn up in arms?
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear challenges by Congress and and 10 other opposition parties, including DMK and NCP (Sharad Pawar), to the Election Commission's decision for special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The petitions have been filed on behalf of Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), CPI, CPM, CPI (ML), DMK, SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM and RJD. Besides, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, NGOs - Association for Democratic Reforms and People's Union for Civil Liberties - and a few residents of Bihar have also filed petitions against the EC's drive.
The petitioners took the identical stand that the timeline fixed by EC was not practical and would lead to disenfranchisement of lakhs of voters, particularly migrant workers and people from marginalised communities who do not have requisite documents and may not be able to procure it within the short span fixed by EC.
Opposition parties argue that most accepted documents require Aadhaar-based verification. They also cite the 2011 socio-economic census showing that 65.58% of rural households in Bihar own no land - making land-linked documents inaccessible to many. Critics say the short deadline - less than a month - is insufficient, especially for those lacking birth or school certificates.
What has the poll panel said?
CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the process would ensure inclusion of all eligible voters. EC clarified that if documents are found lacking after the draft rolls are published on Aug 1, voters will have another opportunity to submit them during the scrutiny phase.
Why is EC's revision activity different?
The 2025 SIR in Bihar is different on several counts. While an ‘intensive’ revision mostly involves a ‘de novo’ exercise, drawing up a fresh electoral roll from the scratch, the Bihar SIR is using the 2002-03 electoral roll as a base to build upon. At the same time, it involves a new pre-printed enumeration form included in the usual house-to-house verification format and document submission, associated with an ‘intensive’ revision. It is, also, very different from previous intensive revision exercises in terms of timing.
EC has seldom ordered a full state and full-scale intensive revision in a state 4-6 months ahead of scheduled assembly elections, as is the case with Bihar. Bihar saw its last intensive revision in 2002, a good three years away from the assembly polls held in October 2005.
Similarly, when the EC, on June 29, 2004 announced an intensive roll revision in eight states, it chose to leave out two states which were pending a similar intensive roll revision. These were Arunachal Pradesh & Maharashtra where assembly polls were due in October 2004.
Why not Aadhaar, MGNREGA or ration cards?
EC excludes Aadhaar, ration, and MGNREGA cards as valid proof, citing concerns that illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh, may have acquired them.
Documents accepted eligible voters may submit any of the following:
The mahagathbandhan of the Opposition, INDIA bloc, has knocked on Supreme Court's doors to contest against the decision of the poll panel, calling it unconstitutional and anti-people, and demanding immediate intervention to prevent the alleged removal of lakhs of names from the voter list.
Why the revision?
EC says the special intensive revision (SIR) aims to eliminate duplicate and bogus voters, especially those listed both at permanent and current addresses. EC insists that only residents currently living in an area should be on its voter rolls, in accordance with constitutional norms ensuring that only Indian citizens can vote. The exercise, last conducted in 2003, targets updated enrolment and removal of ineligible entries. Bihar currently has around 7.9 crore registered voters.
What happens to migrants?
Millions of Bihar residents have migrated elsewhere for work or education but remain enrolled in their native constituencies. EC clarifies that names already in the 2003 electoral rolls — available at https:// voters.eci.gov.in — or of their descendants need no documentary proof of ancestry when submitting the fresh enumeration forms being distributed by booth level officers.
Why is Oppn up in arms?
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear challenges by Congress and and 10 other opposition parties, including DMK and NCP (Sharad Pawar), to the Election Commission's decision for special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The petitions have been filed on behalf of Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), CPI, CPM, CPI (ML), DMK, SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM and RJD. Besides, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, NGOs - Association for Democratic Reforms and People's Union for Civil Liberties - and a few residents of Bihar have also filed petitions against the EC's drive.
The petitioners took the identical stand that the timeline fixed by EC was not practical and would lead to disenfranchisement of lakhs of voters, particularly migrant workers and people from marginalised communities who do not have requisite documents and may not be able to procure it within the short span fixed by EC.
Opposition parties argue that most accepted documents require Aadhaar-based verification. They also cite the 2011 socio-economic census showing that 65.58% of rural households in Bihar own no land - making land-linked documents inaccessible to many. Critics say the short deadline - less than a month - is insufficient, especially for those lacking birth or school certificates.
What has the poll panel said?
CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the process would ensure inclusion of all eligible voters. EC clarified that if documents are found lacking after the draft rolls are published on Aug 1, voters will have another opportunity to submit them during the scrutiny phase.
Why is EC's revision activity different?
The 2025 SIR in Bihar is different on several counts. While an ‘intensive’ revision mostly involves a ‘de novo’ exercise, drawing up a fresh electoral roll from the scratch, the Bihar SIR is using the 2002-03 electoral roll as a base to build upon. At the same time, it involves a new pre-printed enumeration form included in the usual house-to-house verification format and document submission, associated with an ‘intensive’ revision. It is, also, very different from previous intensive revision exercises in terms of timing.
EC has seldom ordered a full state and full-scale intensive revision in a state 4-6 months ahead of scheduled assembly elections, as is the case with Bihar. Bihar saw its last intensive revision in 2002, a good three years away from the assembly polls held in October 2005.
Similarly, when the EC, on June 29, 2004 announced an intensive roll revision in eight states, it chose to leave out two states which were pending a similar intensive roll revision. These were Arunachal Pradesh & Maharashtra where assembly polls were due in October 2004.
Why not Aadhaar, MGNREGA or ration cards?
EC excludes Aadhaar, ration, and MGNREGA cards as valid proof, citing concerns that illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh, may have acquired them.
Documents accepted eligible voters may submit any of the following:
- Govt-issued pension order
- Pre1987 official document from any govt or PSU
- Birth certificate
- Passport
- matriculation orother school certificates
- Permanent residence certificate
- Forest rights certificate
- Caste certificate
- NRC (where available)
- Family register from local authorities
- Land or house allotment certificate from govt agencies
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