Amid criticism from the Opposition and confusion among voters in Bihar, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state. He said that the Election Commission had invited all recognised political parties to discuss the issue and pointed out that none of them were fully satisfied with the current voter list, though their reasons differed.
The Election Commission also clarified that the revision of the voter list is being carried out as per the instructions issued on June 24, and there has been no change in the rules.
This statement came after the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer’s office published an advertisement in local newspapers. The notice informed voters that they could now submit their forms and provide the necessary documents later.
The ad carried the CEO’s “appeal” to electors and was published in Hindi. One of the pointers in the advertisement read, “Yadi avyashak dastavez tatha photo uplabdh nahi ho to sirf ganana prapatra bhar kar BLO ko uplabdh karaa de. (Meaning: If you do not have requisite documents, then provide the enumeration forms to the BLOs).”
EC’s Clarification
The Election Commission in its clarification said that the SIR is being carried out according to the guidelines issued on June 24, 2025, and there has been no change in those rules. The draft electoral rolls, to be published on August 1, 2025, will include the names of people who have submitted their enumeration forms. Voters can submit their supporting documents any time before July 25. If any documents are missing after the draft rolls are published, the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) can collect the required papers from those voters during the Claims and Objections period, which will run from August 1 to September 1.
Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer says no change in voter verification timeline
Just hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised concerns over the voter verification drive in Bihar, citing a government advertisement, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer clarified that the schedule for the process has not changed and is continuing according to the Election Commission’s order dated June 24.
The CEO stated that steps are being taken to help existing voters complete their documentation. Voters are allowed to first submit their enumeration forms and then provide the required documents later. This is all in line with the Election Commission’s official instructions.
If any forms are submitted without the necessary documents, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will send a notice to those voters. They will still have the opportunity to file claims or objections between August 1 and September 1. The final voter list is expected to be released on September 30. Officials also warned people not to be misled by false or confusing statements being spread by some individuals.
The clarification and the advertisement come at a time when the Opposition has raised questions about the timing of the Special Intensive Revision, especially with petitions already filed in the Supreme Court asking for a stay on the process.
Kharge accused the BJP of using the revision drive to mislead the public just before the Bihar Assembly elections. He claimed the Election Commission acted in haste under pressure from public and Opposition criticism and alleged that the BJP is trying to weaken democracy in Bihar. He added that the people of the state would give a strong reply in the upcoming polls.