Bihar Voter List Revision Row: Election Commission Assures Supreme Court No Deletion Without Notice
Patna (The Uttam Hindu): Amid controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Supreme Court that no eligible voter’s name will be deleted without prior notice, an opportunity for a hearing, and a reasoned order from a competent authority.
In an affidavit, the ECI said every possible step is being taken to ensure all qualified voters are included in the final electoral roll, with strict instructions issued to field officials.
The issue hit headlines after the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) alleged that 65 lakh voters were wrongly removed from the rolls during the SIR process. On August 6, the Supreme Court directed the ECI to file its affidavit, with the matter scheduled for the next hearing on August 12.
According to the Commission’s additional affidavit, the first phase of SIR is complete, and the draft electoral roll was published on August 1, 2025. This stage involved Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducting door-to-door verification and collecting voter forms. Out of 7.89 crore voters, 7.24 crore confirmed their details or submitted forms.
The massive campaign involved Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer, 38 District Election Officers, 243 Electoral Registration Officers, 77,895 BLOs, 2.45 lakh volunteers, and 1.6 lakh booth-level agents. Political parties were periodically given lists of omitted voters to ensure timely inclusion.
To reach migrant workers, the ECI ran advertisements in 246 newspapers in Hindi, and offered both online and offline registration. Special camps were held in urban areas, advance applications encouraged youth voter registration, and 2.5 lakh volunteers assisted senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable communities.
The Commission reiterated that before any name is removed from the draft roll, the voter will receive a notice, a chance to be heard, and a formal written order from an authorised officer. The claims and objections period runs from August 1 to September 1, 2025, with both online and print formats available.
For transparency and public awareness, the ECI is issuing daily press releases to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded from the final list.