The Election Commission has announced that all political parties and electors in Bihar will have a one-month period to add or remove names in the draft electoral rolls as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The draft rolls will be published on Friday, and both physical and digital copies will be made available to all recognized political parties in the state’s 38 districts, according to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. ‘Add or remove names from poll rolls in 1 month’

In a statement released on Thursday, Kumar explained that the revision process would allow political parties and electors to review and modify the voter lists. “As part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the draft electoral rolls will be published on August 1,” he said.

The draft rolls will be distributed to all recognized political parties across the state. “Physical as well as digital copies will also be given to all the recognized political parties in Bihar in all the 38 districts by the District Election Officers (DEOs),” Kumar added. Additionally, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, along with 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), will be responsible for inviting claims and objections regarding the voter list.

The window for submitting claims and objections will be open from August 1 to September 1, 2025. During this period, electors and political parties can submit requests for adding names of eligible voters who may have been omitted from the list, removing names of ineligible voters, or correcting any inaccuracies in the draft rolls.

“The CEO of Bihar and the 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will also be inviting any elector of that Assembly constituency or any recognized political party to come forward and give claims and objections,” said Kumar. These changes are being made to ensure the accuracy of the electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

This revision comes at a time when opposition parties have raised concerns about the potential impact of the process on voter inclusion. They have argued that the revision could lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters, particularly those lacking proper documentation. These objections have led to protests in Parliament, with opposition members alleging that the revision process might disproportionately affect those opposed to the ruling alliance.

The Election Commission’s SIR process is expected to result in the removal of approximately 65 lakh names from the electoral rolls due to updates in voter verification.