The Election Commission of India has provided its response to the Supreme Court concerning the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bihar. The issue centers on the exclusion of names from the voter list, with opposition parties accusing the government and the Election Commission of irregularities and deliberate removals ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
The Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that it is not obligated to publish a separate list of individuals whose names were removed from the draft electoral roll. Furthermore, the commission clarified that they would not be issuing such a list. They also stated that they are not required to provide reasons for the exclusions, as per the existing legal framework.
The Election Commission affirmed that the draft electoral roll was shared with political parties. It also pointed out that individuals whose names were not included in the initial draft have the opportunity to submit applications for inclusion. The Election Commission has expressed its opposition to an application filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), which requested the publication of a list of excluded voters and the reasons for their exclusion.
The Election Commission submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court. In the affidavit, the commission assured the court that no eligible voter’s name will be removed from the electoral roll in Bihar without due process, including prior notice, a hearing, and a reasoned order. The commission also stated that they are taking all necessary steps to ensure all eligible voters are included in the final voter list.
During the SIR process, strict measures were implemented to prevent any improper removal of names. The Election Commission stated that of the 78.9 million voters in Bihar, 72.4 million have either confirmed their details or submitted the required forms. This process involved extensive efforts from the Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Booth Level Officers (BLOs), volunteers, and booth-level agents.
Political parties were regularly provided with lists of missing voters to facilitate their inclusion. Additionally, support was provided to migrant workers through Hindi advertisements in 246 newspapers, online and offline form-filling facilities, special camps in urban bodies, and pre-registration arrangements for young voters.
The ADR has alleged that 6.5 million voters were wrongly excluded. The Supreme Court has requested the Election Commission to file an affidavit, and the next hearing is scheduled for August 13. The draft voter list was published on August 1, 2025, following the house-to-house verification conducted by BLOs.
Despite the issuance of the draft voter list and the opportunity to raise objections, no objections have been filed by any political party. However, the opposition parties continue to raise concerns about the electoral process.