Bihar SIR list: No objection or objection filed by any political party over draft voter list, says EC

Despite protests and continued ruckus and protests during the ongoing Parliament Monsoon Session, no political party has submitted any claims or objections regarding the draft electoral rolls for Bihar, which were published on August 1, the Election Commission has said. This comes even as the poll body assured that no eligible voter would be excluded and no ineligible name would be added to the final list, ANI reported.

Public response and ongoing revision

Despite the lack of objections from political parties, the EC revealed that it had received 5,015 claims and objections directly from individual electors regarding the draft rolls. Additionally, 27,517 new applications were submitted by citizens who recently turned 18 or older.

According to the rules, all such claims and objections will be reviewed and decided by the respective Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), but only after a mandatory seven-day waiting period.

The Commission emphasised that no names can be deleted from the draft list published on August 1 without a formal inquiry and a “speaking order” issued by the ERO or AERO, ensuring due process and a fair hearing.

Allegations from Opposition and SC intervention

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar has triggered a political backlash, with the opposition INDIA bloc alleging that the exercise could result in mass voter deletions. They have been staging protests in Parliament, demanding a discussion on the revision process during the current monsoon session.

In a related development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to respond by August 9 to a fresh plea filed by an NGO. The NGO has demanded details of the 65 lakh voters reportedly excluded from the draft electoral roll after the SIR process.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, told the court that no clear information had been provided on whether the excluded voters were deceased or had migrated permanently. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and N Kotiswar Singh directed the ECI to submit details of the deletions, along with the data shared with political parties, and also provide a copy to the petitioner NGO.

The ECI, in response, said all required information had already been provided to political parties. The bench clarified that detailed reasons for deletions would be available in due course, as the current list is still in the draft stage.

Booth-level efforts and public participation

The Commission noted that the revision exercise involved 1.60 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by district presidents of 12 political parties, who were actively engaged in the ground-level verification process.

To assist voters, the ECI has allowed citizens to verify their enrollment through an official online portal using their EPIC (Voter ID) number. The same portal enables the public to file claims and objections for inclusion or deletion of names from the list.

As part of an initiative to ensure up-to-date voter identification, the ECI has urged all voters to submit new photographs to their respective Booth Level Officers (BLOs) by September 1, 2025.

Data from the SIR process shows that around 35 lakh electors were either found to have migrated permanently or were untraceable at their registered addresses. The ECI reiterated that all deletions would be based on verifiable evidence and due process, aiming to maintain an accurate and credible electoral roll.