As Bihar gears up for the Assembly elections slated for November 6 and 11, 2025, the Indian National Congress (INC) has reignited claims of "vote chori" (vote theft), raising serious questions about the integrity of the electoral rolls and the impartiality of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The party alleges large-scale irregularities in the final electoral roll released after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, accusing the ECI of acting under the influence of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Congress leaders have pointed to several discrepancies in the voter list. Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, claimed that 247 voters were found registered under a single household, while in another instance, one person's name appeared three times in the same booth. He questioned how such "massive irregularities" surfaced in the final voter list. Ramesh also noted that approximately 4.7 million voters' names were deleted compared to the list before the SIR exercise, a number he said "exceeds the victory margin from the previous elections" in several constituencies.
Echoing similar concerns, All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba alleged that approximately 2.3 million women's names have been removed from the voter list in Bihar, particularly in constituencies with close contests in the 2020 elections. She claimed that this was a deliberate act of "vote theft" orchestrated by the ruling party through the Election Commission, targeting Dalit and Muslim women voters. Lamba also alleged that the ECI is committing "massive fraud" in the name of SIR at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Congress party has been actively protesting the alleged irregularities. Rahul Gandhi launched a 16-day "Voter Rights Yatra" in Bihar in August to protest the ECI's SIR process and alleged voter manipulation. The party also initiated a nationwide signature campaign against this "vote theft," aiming to collect five crore signatures.
The ECI, however, has strongly refuted the allegations. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar stated that the voter list revision process in Bihar was carried out strictly under the law. He clarified that the Representation of the People Act mandates revision of the electoral roll before elections. Kumar also addressed concerns about the deletion of voters' names, stating that 6.5 million names were removed from the draft roll during the SIR, while 366,000 ineligible electors were removed, and 2.153 million new voters were added. The CEC emphasized that the ECI has always treated all political parties equally and remained steadfast in its constitutional mandate of impartiality. He urged those making allegations to submit evidence under oath or issue a public apology.
The controversy surrounding the voter list revision has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the upcoming Bihar elections. The Congress party has accused the ECI of being a "puppet" in the hands of the ruling party and orchestrating the SIR to provide political advantage to the BJP and its allies. The party has demanded an explanation from the ECI for the alleged irregularities and has called for a re-conduct of the electoral roll revision.
The Bihar Assembly elections are crucial for both the NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc. In the 243-member Assembly, the ruling NDA currently holds 131 seats, while the opposition 'Mahagathbandhan' holds 111 seats. The outcome of the election will depend on various factors, including voter turnout, youth engagement, and perceptions of governance and corruption. The controversy surrounding the voter list revision has added another layer of complexity to the election, with the Congress party determined to expose what it claims is a "vote chori" and the ECI committed to ensuring a free and fair election.
