The SIR electoral roll revision in Bihar faces fierce Opposition criticism, Supreme Court scrutiny, and protests by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav ahead of the assembly polls.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar, conducted after a 22-year gap, has concluded. The final voter lists are set to be published today, with the Election Commission likely to follow it up with the announcement of the poll schedule of the state next week. There were 7.24 crore electors in the draft rolls.
The first phase of the elections is likely to be held soon after the Chhath festival in late October.
- Revision After Two Decades: The SIR exercise, launched to update the voter rolls in Bihar, began with the release of draft rolls on August 1. It allowed voters and political parties to file “claims and objections” until September 1.
- Intense Scrutiny and Opposition Pushback: The exercise has been marked by fierce criticism from Opposition parties, who accused the Election Commission of attempting large-scale voter exclusion. Several parties demanded the process be halted.
- Matter Reaches Supreme Court: Concerns over potential disenfranchisement led to legal challenges. Petitioners approached the Supreme Court, warning that the revision process could strip voting rights from eligible citizens. The next hearing is scheduled for October 7.
- SC Warns of Possible Scrapping: A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi has said it will not hesitate to strike down the final voter list if irregularities are found. The court emphasized the need for inclusivity, ruling against any mass exclusion of voters.
- Aadhaar Allowed as ID: The court overruled the poll body’s objections and permitted the use of Aadhaar as a valid identity document for voter registration, although it was not originally among the 11 accepted documents.
- Opposition Alleges Bias: Several Opposition leaders claim the revision process disproportionately affects poor and minority communities, traditionally seen as part of their voter base. They accuse the ruling BJP of manipulating the process for electoral gain.
- Rahul Gandhi Targets EC, BJP: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged a collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP. Citing data from various regions, he claimed the process was rigged to engineer a landslide win for the BJP in Bihar.
- Poll Body Denies Charges: The Election Commission has dismissed the allegations and asked Gandhi to submit an affidavit supporting his claims. It insists that the revision was conducted fairly and that no eligible citizen will be left off the rolls.
- ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ In Protest: In defiance of the Commission’s stance, Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ across Bihar to raise awareness and protest what they describe as “vote theft.”
- Election Schedule Soon: The term of the current 243-member Bihar Assembly ends on November 22. Sources say the Election Commission is expected to announce the election schedule after a visit to Patna on October 4–5, where it will review poll preparedness.
