Home Politics Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: Political Motives at Play?

Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: Political Motives at Play?

Bihar electoral roll revision ignites fury as opposition brands ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) a BJP scheme to sabotage the 2025 elections. All eyes are on the Supreme Court’s July 10 hearing.

ByAjay N
New Update
Bihar Electoral Roll Revision

Bihar Electoral Roll Revision | Representative Image | Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement

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Bihar Electoral Roll Revision: A Brewing Storm Ahead of Elections

Just months before the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, slated for October or November 2025, a major controversy has erupted over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to undertake a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Bihar electoral roll. Announced on June 24, 2025, this exercise aims to update the state’s 7.9 crore-strong voter list, but its timing and scope have sparked intense debate. 

While the ECI is legally empowered under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to revise electoral rolls to ensure accuracy, questions arise about the necessity of such an extensive revision so close to the polls. Critics, including opposition parties, are asking whether larger political considerations are at play or if this is genuinely an effort to enhance the accuracy of the Bihar electoral roll, raising stakes in an already polarised electoral environment.

The ECI is conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Bihar electoral roll under the authority of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, specifically Section 21, which deals with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls for constituencies. Additionally, Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 23 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, empower the ECI to undertake special summary revisions, including intensive verification, to update voter lists, while Rule 24 facilitates this process by mandating draft publication.

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The ECI’s notification on June 24, 2025, invoked Article 326 of the Constitution of India and other key provisions of the RP Act to ju