Bihar Voter Roll Update: EC Says Special Revision Drive in ‘Full Swing’
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Bihar draft electoral rolls to be published on August 1; final list to be out on September 30
The draft electoral rolls would be published on August 1. The daily lists of claims and objections will be displayed at the offices of the Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) and published on the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) website. Final electoral rolls will be prepared only after disposing of claims. No deletion will be made without due inquiry and providing the person concerned a fair hearing, the poll body said in a statement on Thursday (July 3, 2025) The EC said the same has been conveyed to the representatives of 10 political parties that met the Commission on Wednesday.
The draft electoral rolls would be published on August 1.
The daily lists of claims and objections will be displayed at the offices of the Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) and published on the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) website.
‘Will provide fair hearing’
Weekly updates will also be shared with political parties. Final electoral rolls will be prepared only after disposing of claims and objections and no deletion will be made without due inquiry and providing the person concerned a fair hearing, the poll body said in a statement on Thursday (July 3, 2025).
The EC said the same has been conveyed to the representatives of 10 political parties that met the Commission on Wednesday (July 2, 2025).
Explaining the timeline of the process, the poll body said that in the first phase, from June 25 to July 3, enumeration forms are being printed and distributed to the approximately 7.9 crore electors in Bihar. EROs are making available partially pre-filled forms, based on existing records as on June 23, 2025. BLOs are delivering the enumeration forms door-to-door to all the 7.9 crore electors whose names are on the electoral rolls as on June 24, which is the date of issue of the SIR order.
Following this, in the second phase, the enumeration forms will be filled and submitted before July 25.
In the third phase of the exercise, running parallel from June 25 to July 26, the completed enumeration forms will be collected by the BLOs along with the self-attested documents. They can be submitted online as well.
In the fourth phase, the draft electoral rolls will be published on August 1. The list will include all electors whose forms have been received by the deadline. Names for which no enumeration form has been submitted before July 25 will not appear in the draft roll.
Copies of the draft roll will be provided to recognised political parties free of cost and uploaded on the EC’s website. Electors who miss the initial deadline can still apply during the claims and objections period using Form-6 along with a declaration form.
In the fifth phase, from August 1 to September 1, any member of the public can file claims and objections for inclusion or raise objections to existing entries in the draft roll. No deletion will be made without due inquiry and providing the person concerned a fair hearing, the EC said.
The final electoral roll will be published on September 30.
Election Commission’s Bihar Roll Revision Sparks Outcry
The Congress party alleged on Friday that the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is a calculated exercise aimed at disenfranchising thousands of voters. The Election Commission had met representatives from various political factions on Wednesday to address their concerns, answer questions, and clarify the details of the special intensive revision process. The election commission assured the parties that the SIR is being conducted methodically, in a structured, phased manner to ensure that all eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls.
On Wednesday, leaders from various parties within the INDIA bloc gathered to discuss this issue with the Election Commission. They expressed concerns over the timing of the SIR, fearing that over two crore voters in Bihar could be unfairly removed from the electoral list just before the assembly elections.
In response, the Election Commission clarified to these opposition parties that they had provided a full explanation of the SIR to allay such concerns.
K C Venugopal, the Congress general secretary in-charge of organization, made a post on X, stating, “This government specializes in giving people hell. The SIR is a sinister exercise designed to deny lakhs of voters their voting rights.” “The unnecessary haste, coupled with their refusal to address valid opposition concerns, suggests a deliberate effort to destabilize Bihar’s electoral framework,” he remarked.
He further insisted, “We will not let this exercise proceed. It must be stopped immediately.”
The Election Commission had met representatives from various political factions on Wednesday to address their concerns, answer questions, and clarify the details of the special intensive revision process.
The meeting saw participation from representatives of the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, Communist Party of India, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray).
The Election Commission assured the parties that the SIR is being conducted methodically, in a structured, phased manner to ensure that all eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls.
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar’s Electoral Roll Update: A Comprehensive Effort Unfolds
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is in full swing in Bihar as Booth Level Officers, political party appointees, and volunteers make concerted efforts to ensure no eligible voter is left off the roll. As of today, over 13% of enumeration forms have been collected from Bihar’s nearly 7.90 crore registered voters.
The forms’ distribution has reached over 93%, with door-to-door visits aiding in form completion and submission. BLOs are also uploading live photos of electors, mitigating the need for separate photography sessions. Partially filled forms are accessible on the ECI portal and the ECINET App, with a smooth process enabled by additional BLO appointments and approximately 4 lakh volunteers.
Top election officials, including 239 EROs and various assistants, along with 1,54,977 party-appointed agents, are actively ensuring compliance and submission. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar addressed opposition concerns, affirming the necessity of updating the voter list as a regular pre-election procedure. Past complaints from opposition parties have highlighted authenticity issues, making this a crucial update.
(With inputs from agencies.)
EC works fine in victory but turns evil during poll loss: Tarun Chugh taunts Opposition
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh took potshots at the Opposition. He claimed that they praise the Election Commission when they emerge victorious in polls but resort to blamegame spree in face of any electoral losses. His remarks follow an INDIA Bloc delegation’s meeting with the ECI on July 2 to protest the recently announced “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls. Chugh further condemned Opposition leaders for repeatedly making controversial remarks about the Kanwar Yatra.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday took potshots at the Opposition, claiming that they praise the Election Commission when they emerge victorious in polls but resort to blamegame spree in face of any electoral losses.
His remarks follow an INDIA Bloc delegation’s meeting with the ECI on July 2 to protest the recently announced “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls—a meeting many Opposition leaders described as “disappointing” and “unfriendly.”
Speaking to IANS, Tarun Chugh said, “After their defeat, INDIA Bloc leaders make wild allegations without any facts. When they win in Telangana, Himachal, and Karnataka, then EVMs are fine and the ECI is good. But as soon as people reject them across the country—including in Maharashtra and Haryana—they suddenly claim the elections are rigged and the EVMs faulty. This is sheer double standards and exposes their double character.”
Chugh further reacted to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s charge, where he attacked both the BJP and Congress during a party membership drive in Ahmedabad, describing their relationship as a “husband-wife” alliance.
Hitting back, Chugh said, “Kejriwal should first explain his own backroom deals. He once called Congress the most corrupt party and claimed to have ‘two sacks of evidence’ against them and Sheila Dikshit. But the mouth of that sack has never opened.
Instead, he formed an unholy government with them in Delhi. How many Lok Sabha elections has AAP fought in alliance with Congress? The people have given them a fitting reply for that alliance.”
Chugh further condemned Opposition leaders for repeatedly making controversial remarks about the Kanwar Yatra.
“It is one of Sanatan Dharma’s most sacred and challenging pilgrimages, undertaken with strict fasting rituals during the holy month of Sawan,” he said.
“Yet the INDIA bloc tries to politicise it for vote-bank gains. I urge them to stop this cheap politics. The insults hurled at Kanwariyas—devotees of Lord Shiva undertaking this spiritual journey—are nothing but an attack on Sanatan traditions. Sadly, opposing Sanatan has become a fashionable trend in the Congress and INDIA bloc alliance,” he concluded.(Agency)
Special revision drive in Bihar in full swing: Election Commission
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is progressing at a robust pace. As of 6 p.m. on Saturday, a total of 1,04,16,545 Enumeration Forms had been received — 13.19 per cent of the total 7,89,69,844 registered electors in Bihar as of June 24, 2025. Nearly 4 lakh volunteers are assisting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, persons with disabilities (PwDs), the ailing, and others with mobility challenges.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is progressing at a robust pace, with extensive participation from electoral officials, political party representatives, and thousands of volunteers working at the grassroots level to ensure no eligible voter is left out.
According to an official statement from the Commission, as of 6 p.m. on Saturday, a total of 1,04,16,545 Enumeration Forms had been received — 13.19 per cent of the total 7,89,69,844 registered electors in Bihar as of June 24, 2025.
The percentage of Enumeration Forms distributed has reached 93.57 per cent, with 7,38,89,333 forms already handed out.
The ECI highlighted the tireless efforts of 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who are going door-to-door, assisting electors in filling and submitting their Enumeration Forms. In many instances, BLOs are also capturing live photographs of electors using mobile devices, helping them avoid the hassle of visiting photo studios.
To facilitate ease of access, partially filled forms are available for download on the ECI’s voter portal https://voters.eci.gov.in and the ECINET App, where electors can also upload the completed forms themselves.
In addition to the existing workforce, 20,603 additional BLOs are being deployed to ensure the timely and smooth completion of the revision process.
The campaign is also being supported by nearly 4 lakh volunteers, including government officials, NCC cadets, and NSS members, who are assisting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, persons with disabilities (PwDs), the ailing, and others with mobility challenges.
The process is being closely monitored and facilitated by 239 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 963 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), 38 District Election Officers (DEOs), and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar.
Political parties are also playing a key role in the process, the ECI said, adding a total of 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by various parties are actively supporting the SIR exercise by coordinating with BLOs and helping electors.