As the Election Commission embarks on a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar — which is due for polls in October and November — and plans to conduct a similar exercise in five other states ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, a political controversy has erupted. The Opposition has decried the move, claiming the timing is intended to benefit the ruling party.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the move was akin to the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) where the citizenship papers of the residents were to be checked. She had even pitched for a joint action plan among the Opposition parties to oppose the move.
The Commission has argued that the creation and maintenance of a healthy, accurate, and inclusive electoral roll (ER) was its constitutional responsibility and the bedrock of free and fair elections. The EC insisted that the exercise is grounded in Article 324 of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Electors Rules of 1960.
Under this revision, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Bihar will undertake house-to-house surveys till July 26, asking voters to fill enumeration forms backed by identity and birth-related documents — not only for themselves but, in many cases, for their parents too. Particular focus is on those born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004, and those enrolled after 2003 — the year Bihar last underwent an intensive revision.
The rationale, according to the Commission, is clear: to correct for rapid urbanisation, rising migration, unreported deaths, and the alleged inclusion of foreign nationals. This revision will ensure A cleaner, verifiable roll — updated in public view, with political party participation and legal recourse available.
But the timing — barely months before elections in Bihar — and the documentation burden have sparked allegations of voter suppression, especially among opposition parties and civil rights groups.
The main opposition parties in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, CPI-ML (Liberation), criticised the move, terming it “devious”, “impractical”, and “selective”.
They argue the exercise disproportionately affects the poor, rural, young, and migrant communities — many of whom may not possess birth certificates or parental documents dating back to the 1980s.
The parties argue that many migrant workers working outside the state may not have access to the documents. This may end up disabling the genuine voters.
The Congress in its statement said it “opposes the devious SIR exercise ordered by the ECI for Bihar..by undertaking the revision in Bihar and some other states, the EC has admitted that all is not well with India's electoral rolls.”
The ECI argued though exercise would be conducted in smooth manner causing minimum inconvenience to the electors, but it was also seeking the active involvement of all political parties in the process by appointing their booth level agents in all polling booths.
“The active participation of BLAs would ensure that discrepancies, if any, are resolved at the preparation stage itself, thereby reducing the instances of filing claims, objections and appeals. It may be underscored that both, the electors and the political parties, are the most important stakeholders in any electoral process and it is only with their full participation that an exercise of such magnitude can be conducted smoothly and successfully,” ECI said in its statement.
The Commission says polling stations will also be reorganised to ensure accessibility — with one booth per 1,200 voters and a maximum 2-km travel distance.
After Bihar, the EC plans to carry out similar revisions in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal where elections will be held next year.