EC finds large number of foreign nationals from Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar in Bihar voter list drive

Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: In a significant development ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has revealed that a “large number” of foreign nationals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar were identified during a door-to-door verification drive for the revision of the voters’ list. The intensive survey is part of a special exercise aimed at cleansing the electoral rolls of illegal migrants.

According to EC officials, these findings have emerged from ground reports submitted by booth-level officers (BLOs) who are currently carrying out house-to-house visits across the state. The final electoral roll is set to be published on September 30, after a thorough verification process is completed post-August 1.

Illegal migrants will not be included, EC assures

Election Commission officials clarified that the names of suspected illegal migrants will not be added to the final voters’ list. “Only after detailed enquiry and verification will any name be included or excluded,” said one official. The current drive in Bihar is seen as a precursor to a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) aimed at identifying and removing illegal foreign nationals from electoral rolls across India.

This initiative gains urgency in light of recent crackdowns on illegal migrants in several states, particularly those from Bangladesh and Myanmar, where concerns over border infiltration remain high.

Political war of words in West Bengal

The revelations from Bihar have reignited political debates in neighbouring West Bengal. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya took aim at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding that she produce the “Bangladeshi voters list” she had referenced two decades ago.

“On August 4, 2005, Mamata Banerjee said in Parliament that she had both the Bangladeshi and Indian voters list,” Malviya posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Twenty years later, the question remains—why hasn’t she submitted that list? What is she hiding?”

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, echoed the sentiment, alleging that the state’s electoral roll is riddled with fake and infiltrator names. He urged for measures akin to Bihar’s SIR to be implemented in Bengal, particularly in high-growth population districts like Cooch Behar and the 24 Parganas.

“There are a lot of fake voters in Bengal. Infiltrators are also listed as voters. This has to be cleansed,” Adhikari stated. He also alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) was shielding Rohingya Muslims, whom he labelled as infiltrators rather than refugees.

Opposition slams EC’s move in Bihar

The SIR initiative has not gone unchallenged. Opposition parties, including the ruling TMC in West Bengal, have criticised the exercise, claiming it may result in the disenfranchisement of marginalised communities. They argue that demanding proof of citizenship in mass numbers could unfairly target vulnerable groups.

On June 24, the ECI directed many voters in Bihar to furnish proof of Indian citizenship to remain on the rolls—an unprecedented move in recent electoral processes.

As the final list awaits publication on September 30, all eyes will be on how the Election Commission balances voter integrity with inclusive electoral rights.