Bihar Draft Electoral Roll Controversy

On September 1, 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) presented a note to the Supreme Court regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar. This discussion highlighted significant discrepancies between requests for inclusion and objections for exclusion from the draft electoral roll.

Key Points:

• Aadhaar as Document: The Supreme Court allowed the use of Aadhaar as a standalone document for claims or objections from August 22, 2025, during the SIR process. This was expected to increase applications for voter inclusion.

• Claims vs. Objections: Between August 22 and August 30, 2025, the ECI reported receiving 22,723 claims for inclusion, but 134,738 objections to remove names, indicating a nearly six-fold disparity.

• Voter Exclusions: Approximately 6.5 million electors were excluded from the preliminary voter list published on August 1, 2025, reducing total voters from 78.9 million to 72.4 million. Reasons for exclusion cited included death, permanent relocation, and duplicate registrations.

• Filing Deadline: Although the September 1 deadline for claims and objections was mentioned, the ECI clarified that submissions would still be accepted, and those received after that date would be considered for the finalized electoral roll.

• Political Parties' Participation: The ECI criticized recognized political parties, stating that, apart from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPI-M-L-L), no significant assistance had been provided to help excluded voters file claims. Political parties submitted a total of 128 forms, with 103 forms requesting deletions and only 25 for inclusions.

• Individual Voter Engagement: Individual voters were proactive, submitting a total of 33,326 forms for inclusion and 207,565 for deletions, suggesting a disconnect between political parties and community engagement.

• Legal Services Authority's Direction: The Supreme Court directed the activation of paralegal volunteers from the Bihar State Legal Services Authority to assist individuals and political parties in filing claims and objections on a district level, ensuring that all parties could accurately register their submissions.

• Verification Process: The ECI indicated that 99.5% of the 7.24 crore electors had submitted eligibility documents, with verification expected to be completed by September 25, 2025, following a prior order dated June 26.

• New Voter Registrations: There were approximately 1.53 million new applications for inclusion in the electoral roll reported by the ECI, indicating ongoing efforts to increase voter participation even amidst the challenges faced.

The developments underline the challenges and dynamics within the electoral process in Bihar, reflecting both the active engagement of individual voters and a noted shortfall in the involvement of major political parties. The ongoing situation is critical ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections.

The information highlights the intricate relationship between electoral processes, individual rights, and political party responsibilities in ensuring democratic participation.