Mounting Concerns Over Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: Election Commission Urges Dispassionate View

New Delhi, India – In the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, a significant political storm has erupted over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. As criticism mounts from opposition parties, the Election Commission has reportedly urged stakeholders to “think deeply, going beyond political ideologies,” emphasizing the purity and integrity of the electoral process. This crucial Bihar electoral roll revision exercise, aimed at refining voter lists, has become a flashpoint, raising questions about its timing, methodology, and potential impact on voters.

The Purpose Behind the Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: EC’s Stance

The Election Commission has steadfastly defended the Bihar electoral roll revision, asserting its constitutional duty to maintain accurate and clean voter lists. The core objectives cited by the EC for this extensive exercise include:

• Weeding out Ineligible Persons: Identifying and removing deceased electors, those who have permanently migrated, and individuals registered at multiple locations.
• Ensuring Purity of Elections: The EC views the SIR as vital for upholding the sanctity of the electoral process, preventing bogus votes, and ensuring that only eligible citizens participate.
• Addressing Discrepancies: The ongoing revision has already flagged significant inconsistencies. The EC revealed that approximately 18 lakh deceased electors, 26 lakh electors who had shifted constituencies, and 7 lakh individuals enrolled at two places have been identified. Recent updates indicate roughly 1 lakh “untraceable” voters and 55 lakh reported as deceased or permanently migrated.

Opposition’s Outcry: Concerns Over the Bihar Electoral Roll Revision

Despite the Election Commission’s justifications, a united opposition, including key INDIA bloc members, has vehemently criticized the Bihar electoral roll revision, terming it “rushed,” “impractical,” and a potential tool for voter suppression. Their primary concerns include:

• Timing of the Exercise: Conducted just months before the state assembly elections, opposition leaders argue that the SIR is ill-timed and could disenfranchise eligible voters. JDU MP Giridhari Yadav called it “forcefully imposed,” questioning the practicality of collecting documents within a short timeframe, especially for those living outside Bihar.
• Allegations of Voter Suppression: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP-led government of trying to “murder democracy” and orchestrating a “conspiracy to snatch the right to vote,” drawing parallels to alleged voter list manipulation in Maharashtra. Other MPs from various opposition parties held placards, alleging the SIR aimed to “Steal Indian Rights” and was an attempt to “cut votes.”
• Exclusion of Common ID Documents: The opposition highlighted the EC’s initial reluctance to accept commonly used government-issued IDs like Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration cards as standalone proof of eligibility, which they argue creates unnecessary hurdles, particularly for marginalized communities.
• Resemblance to NRC: Critics have expressed concerns that the Bihar electoral roll revision mirrors the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC), shifting the burden of proof of citizenship onto the voter, which they argue is the prerogative of the Union government, not the EC.

Supreme Court’s Interventions and EC’s Response

The controversy has also reached the Supreme Court, which has been hearing petitions challenging the SIR.

• SC’s Directives: While refusing to halt the exercise, the Supreme Court questioned the timing of the revision and urged the Election Commission to consider Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid identity documents during the verification drive.
• EC’s Clarifications to SC: In its affidavit, the Election Commission has clarified that:
  • It is statutorily bound to ensure only Indian citizens are registered as voters.
  • The SIR does not involve an independent exercise of determining citizenship, but rather ensuring non-citizens are not included in electoral rolls.
  • Citizenship of an individual will not be terminated solely on being found ineligible for electoral roll registration under SIR.
  • While Aadhaar and other documents are being considered for limited identity verification, they cannot be accepted as standalone proofs of eligibility due to concerns like “widespread issuance of bogus ration cards” and Aadhaar being primarily an identity, not citizenship, proof.
  • The EC also assured that electors already on the 2025 rolls would feature in the draft roll upon submitting enumeration forms (with or without documents initially), and further opportunities would be provided for inclusion.

The Path Forward: Balancing Purity and Inclusivity

As the deadline for form submission approaches (July 25) and the final roll publication date (September 30) looms, the Election Commission maintains that the Bihar electoral roll revision is proceeding as per constitutional mandate and is crucial for accurate electoral rolls ahead of the assembly elections. They claim a high coverage rate, with over 90% of enumeration forms received and digitized.

The ongoing debate underscores the delicate balance between ensuring the purity of the electoral process and safeguarding the democratic right to vote for every eligible citizen. The Election Commission’s call for a dispassionate review, transcending political ideologies, highlights the need for all stakeholders to approach the Bihar electoral roll revision with a focus on transparency, fairness, and the foundational principles of Indian democracy.