The issue of the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in Bihar continues to be a subject of debate ahead of the assembly elections. Allegations of wrongful removal of names from the electoral rolls have been leveled against the government and the Election Commission by the opposition. In response, the Election Commission has clarified its position in the Supreme Court, stating it is not obligated to publish a separate list of individuals excluded from the draft electoral roll. The commission has filed two affidavits in the apex court, addressing a recent application by ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms) and the main case.
The Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that it is not bound by the rules to publish a separate list of individuals not included in the draft electoral roll in the Bihar SIR case. The commission clearly stated that it will not issue a separate list. It also mentioned that it is not required to provide reasons for the exclusion of individuals from the draft electoral roll as per the rules.
The Election Commission also stated that it has shared the draft electoral roll with political parties. The Election Commission stated that those not included in the draft electoral roll have the option to submit declarations for inclusion. The Election Commission has opposed the application filed by ADR, which sought the publication of a list of individuals not included in the draft electoral roll and the reasons for their exclusion.
The Election Commission has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court regarding the Bihar SIR case. In the affidavit, the Election Commission told the Supreme Court that no eligible voter’s name will be removed from the electoral roll in Bihar without prior notice, an opportunity for a hearing, and a reasoned order. All possible steps are being taken to include the names of all eligible voters in the final electoral roll.
Strict instructions have been issued to prevent the wrongful removal of names during the SIR process in the state. The Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that out of 78.9 million voters, 72.4 million people have confirmed or submitted their forms. The process involved the active participation of Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer, 38 District Election Officers, 243 Electoral Registration Officers, 77,895 BLOs, 2.45 lakh volunteers, and 1.60 lakh booth-level agents.
Lists of missing voters were provided to political parties from time to time to facilitate timely additions. Advertisements in Hindi were published in 246 newspapers for migrant workers, along with online and offline form-filling facilities. Special camps were organized in urban bodies, and provisions were made for advance registration for youth.
ADR has accused that 6.5 million voters were wrongly excluded. On August 6, the Supreme Court asked the Election Commission to file an affidavit. The next hearing in this matter is scheduled for August 13. The Election Commission has stated in an additional affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that the draft electoral roll was published on August 1, 2025. This was done after the booth-level officers (BLOs) collected names and forms from voters through house-to-house visits.
Despite the Election Commission’s issuance of the draft voter list on August 1 and the invitation for objections, no objections have been filed by any political party, even though the opposition has raised several questions about the Election Commission’s actions.
