BIHAR POLLS: WHY IS OPPN HAVING A ‘SIR’ DARD

After the pleas filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, attempted to put a brake on poll roll revision exercise, the Supreme Court, finally on Monday, agreed to hear petitions challenging the EC’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar which will witness a crucial Assembly election in November. The SC will hear the matter on Thursday.

The Election Commission’s (EC) decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls has earned enormous wrath from Opposition parties as they fear that this move might be an attempt about possible mass deletion of legitimate voters, especially among the poor and marginalised.

WHAT IS THE SPECIAL INTENSIVE REVISION (SIR)?

The EC began the special revision on June 24, by involving door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The aim has been to add new eligible voters and remove ineligible names. This is the first such comprehensive revision since 2003.

FOUR STAGES OF SIR

• June 25–July 3: Enumeration forms printed and distributed
• Till July 25: Collection of filled forms
• August 1: Draft rolls released
• September 30: Final electoral roll to be published

WHAT WAS THE NEED FOR ‘SIR’?

Among several reasons cited by the poll panel, the notable ones are…

• Migration and urbanisation have outdated voter records
• Deaths of voters remain unrecorded
• Concerns over illegal immigrants on rolls
• Constitutional obligation to ensure only Indian citizens vote

The commission insists this update is critical for electoral integrity.

Justifying its order, the Election Commission said that over the past two decades, large-scale additions and deletions, driven by rapid urbanisation and frequent migration, have significantly altered electoral rolls. Migrants often register at new locations without deleting previous entries, leading to duplication. The EC said this warrants an intensive verification drive to ensure each enrolment is valid. It also cited its constitutional duty to prevent non-citizens from being added to the rolls.

WHICH DOCS WILL DO

Around 2.93 crore voters in Bihar, whose names were not on the 2003 electoral rolls, have been asked to submit at least one of 11 documents proving their date and place of birth — for themselves and their parents — along with an enumeration form.

Accepted documents include a passport, birth certificate, SC/ST certificate, educational certificate from recognised boards/universities, permanent residence certificate, family register, forest rights certificate, or a government-issued land/ house allotment certificate. The Election Commission has excluded Aadhaar and PAN, stating that Aadhaar serves only as proof of identity, not address or date of birth.

POWER GIVEN BY CONSTITUTION

Article 324(1) of the Constitution empowers the Election Commission with the “superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of” elections to Parliament and state legislatures.

The electoral rolls are prepared by the EC as per the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RP Act).

PLEASE NOTE

Section 21(3) of the RP Act states that the ECI “may at any time… direct a special revision of the electoral roll for any constituency or part of a constituency in such manner as it may think fit”.

According to the Registration of Electors’ Rules, 1960, the revision of electoral rolls can be carried out “either intensively or summarily or partly intensively and partly summarily, as the [ECI] may direct”.

DOCS ARE BEING DEMANDED?

Voters on the 2003 electoral roll only need to provide that entry. Others must provide proof from a list of 11 documents, depending on date of birth:

• Born before July 1, 1987: Own date/place of birth -Between July 1, 1987 – December 2, 2004: Own and one parent’s date/ place -After December 2, 2004: Own and both parents’ date/place

Accepted documents include government IDs, bank/LIC records, board mark sheets, birth certificates, domicile certificates, land or housing documents, and NRC-related papers.

WHAT DID THE EC SAY IN ITS DEFENCE?

The EC maintains it is fulfilling its constitutional duty, not targeting anyone, and has no intent to disenfranchise genuine voters. BLOs have been instructed to assist vulnerable groups, and political parties are invited to oversee the process and report issues. However, experts fear a repeat of the 2019 Assam NRC fallout, where many poor and marginalised citizens were excluded due to lack of documents. In Bihar, similar concerns arise amid high migration and illiteracy, raising the risk of wrongful voter deletions.

NEXT STEPS IN ROLL UPDATE?

The revision timeline is as follows:

• Until July 26: Door-todoor verification by BLOs -Until September 1: Claims and objections may be submitted -*September 30: Final publication of electoral rolls
• Opposition parties have signalled possible legal challenges if concerns are not resolved. With elections looming, the outcome of this revision may shape the credibility of Bihar’s democratic process.

CONG OUTBURST

Congress leader Pawan Khera said the party, along with nine others, has challenged the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the Supreme Court, calling it flawed and disenfranchising. He expressed faith that the Court will ensure justice, with a hearing scheduled for July 10.

The EC, meanwhile, reiterated its commitment to constitutional provisions under Article 326 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav urged the EC to halt the revision until after Bihar’s Assembly elections, citing voter anger and the exclusion of widely held documents like Aadhaar and MNREGA job cards. He questioned the logic of rejecting Aadhaar, which involves biometric verification and is set to be linked to voter IDs.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Robin Roy, The writer is Senior Journalist and former Managing Editor, First India