As of August 3, 2025, the Election Commission of India (EC) has reported that in the first 48 hours following the publication of Bihar's draft electoral roll, no claims or objections were filed by any of the booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by various political parties. This announcement comes as Bihar prepares for its Assembly election in 2025 and follows the release of the draft electoral roll on August 1, 2025.
The EC deployed approximately 160,000 BLAs across 90,712 booths in Bihar. These agents represent a broad spectrum of political parties, including RJD, Congress, CPM, AAP, BSP, National People's Party, BJP, JD(U), CPI (ML) (Liberation), LJP (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya LJP, and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party. Despite agreeing to meticulously review the booth-wise draft lists provided to them on August 1, none of these BLAs submitted any cases to booth-level officers (BLOs) within the initial 48-hour period.
However, while political parties remained silent in terms of formal claims and objections, individual voters have begun to engage with the process. The commission confirmed that 941 claims and objections have been submitted directly by citizens. These submissions include requests for both additions to the voter list and removals of names that voters believe are inaccurate or represent ineligible individuals.
In contrast to the lack of claims and objections from political parties, the EC reported a significant number of applications for fresh voter enrollment. Between 3 p.m. on August 1 and 3 p.m. on August 2, the commission received 3,223 applications from individuals turning 18 years old on the cutoff dates of July 1 and October 1, 2025. Each of these applicants submitted Form 6 with the necessary declaration.
The electoral roll is being updated through a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a standard procedure by the EC to maintain the accuracy of the voter list before upcoming elections. The EC has set a deadline of September 1 for submitting claims and objections, after which the final voter list will be prepared and published on September 30.
To encourage participation and awareness, the EC is running advertisements across print, television, and social media platforms, informing Bihar residents about the options for filing claims and objections. Additionally, the EC will establish special camps in all block-cum-office circles and urban local body offices, operating from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until September 1. This will allow any Bihar elector to verify their name on the draft electoral roll via the EC's voter portal and to file claims and objections as needed.
It's important to note that objections to claims typically must be filed and served at least 30 days before any scheduled hearing on the objection or any deadline for the claimant to request a hearing. The objection and notice must be served to the claimant via first-class mail to the person designated on the proof of claim to receive notices.