By Sulagna Halder
Patna, 29 June 2025:
Concerns about potential voter disenfranchisement prompted the Election Commission of India (EC) to provide clarifications after launching a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls across all 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar today.
With an emphasis on voters enrolled after 2003, more than 98,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) started making door to door visits to review voter lists on Sunday. These voters are required by the EC to provide documentation of their Indian citizenship as well as their birthdate or place of residence. Long enrolled voters listed in the 2003 roll can now download their information from the ECINET portal and submit it as legitimate proof of birth, according to EC officials, which will streamline the process.
Furthermore, alternatives like land records, tenancy papers, or local certificates will be accepted in situations where formal documentation is not available. The Commission explained that even in the absence of documentary proof, names will be provisionally included during the draft stage, giving voters more time to provide supporting documentation. Officials from the EC emphasised that this aligns with its legal mandate under the Representation of People Act. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been given more duties. In addition to their regular duties, they are now required by the Citizenship Act to locate and report suspected non citizens to the appropriate authorities.
Opposition parties contend that the SIR is a backdoor National Register of Citizens in spite of these clarifications. Derek O'Brien, a Trinamool MP, warned that the exercise could disqualify millions of legitimate voters, comparing it to a "Nazi Ancestor Pass." Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the RJD, charged that Prime Minister Modi was trying to "deprive Bihar of the right to vote." Concerns were also voiced by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, who claimed that the EC had violated its motto of "no voters left behind" by making verification more difficult without enabling Aadhaar or EPIC. With 160,000 booth level agents and nearly 99,000 BLOs participating, the EC's initiative will run for one month. In an effort to improve accessibility, the commission has also reorganised polling places to cap the number of voters per booth at 1,200.
"This exercise is essential to maintain integrity of the electoral roll by removing ineligible or non citizen names and including legitimate voters who may have been missed," an EC spokesperson stated. However, legal experts warn that the strict documentation requirements and one month timeframe may disenfranchise migrant and marginalised populations. In preparation for upcoming elections, the drive will be closely watched as a test run for national roll revisions.
