As the deadline approaches for filing claims and objections to Bihar's draft electoral roll, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has reported significant activity, with over two lakh objections submitted seeking the removal of names. These objections primarily originate from individuals who had previously submitted enumeration forms. The draft electoral rolls, published on August 1, 2025, include 7.24 crore names, which is 65 lakh fewer than the voter list published before the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) began. The final electoral roll for Bihar, which is expected to hold elections in November, will be published on September 30, 2025.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has seen a large number of requests for both inclusion and exclusion of names. According to the ECI, 1,97,764 requests were made for exclusion, while 29,872 requests sought inclusion in the electoral rolls. Furthermore, 33,326 people have applied for re-inclusion in the voter list. In addition to these, 15,32,438 applications have been received from new electors who have recently turned 18 and are now eligible to vote.
The ECI has emphasized that the ongoing revision is a statutory process and that the current draft rolls are not final but are intended for public scrutiny. This allows electors, political parties, and other stakeholders to raise claims and objections. The poll body uses ERONET 2.0 software to detect potential duplicate entries, which are then subjected to ground verification by booth level officers (BLOs) and electoral registration officers (EROs). This layered process is designed to ensure that genuine electors are not disenfranchised by automated algorithms.
The ECI has addressed concerns about potential duplicate voters in the draft rolls, stating that any alleged duplication at this stage cannot be construed as a final error or illegal inclusion. The commission clarified that the law provides a remedy through the claims and objections period, followed by verification by EROs. The Chief Electoral Officer in Bihar noted that it is common in rural constituencies for multiple individuals to share identical names, parental names, and similar ages, which the Supreme Court has recognized as insufficient proof of duplication without field inquiry.
Political parties have also been actively involved in the revision process, with booth-level agents filing claims for inclusion and objections for exclusion. The CPI(ML)-Liberation has filed 103 applications, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal has filed 10 for changes in the list. The Congress party has also applied for the deletion of a significant number of voters, but the CEO of Bihar has requested evidence with an affidavit before taking action. The ECI has appointed a substantial number of booth-level agents (BLAs) from political parties to aid in the revision process.
With the deadline for filing claims and objections now passed on September 1, 2025, the Election Commission is expected to address the concerns raised and publish the final electoral roll on September 30, 2025. The commission has urged all stakeholders to provide valid documents, such as Aadhaar, to support their claims and objections. The SIR, launched on June 24, 2025, aims to ensure accuracy and legal compliance in the preparation of electoral rolls, with the ECI emphasizing that "pure electoral rolls strengthen democracy".
