As Bihar gears up for the 2025 Assembly elections, allegations of irregularities have surfaced concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Concerns have been raised regarding the inclusion of deceased individuals and the omission of living citizens from the voter list. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and CM candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, has claimed his name is missing from the draft voter list, despite submitting the necessary enumeration form. He questioned how he would be able to participate in the upcoming elections. Janata Dal (United) countered, accusing Yadav of misleading the public. Yadav stated at a press conference that his name was not found in the electoral roll and that his EPIC number (Elector’s Photo Identification Card) information was also not found in the system. The Patna district administration clarified that Yadav’s name is registered, but his polling station and serial number have been changed. Yadav has alleged a conspiracy to remove people from the voter list, questioning the impact of changing his EPIC number. JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar labeled Yadav a ‘political fraud.’ The Election Commission refuted Yadav’s claims, stating that his name is present in the draft electoral roll at Serial Number 416. The political atmosphere in Bihar is tense, especially with the elections approaching, and with a minority of applicants submitting documents to prove eligibility. The SIR process, a special voter list verification, is underway, with the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar inviting objections to discrepancies. The last intensive revision in Bihar was conducted in 2003.
