Explained | Bihar Electoral Roll Revision exercise, politics, and Supreme Court developments

In the run-up to the Assembly elections later this year in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state.

The exercise has drawn widespread attention for multiple reasons.

Everything around it, from the administrative scale to the controversy it has stirred among political parties and civil society is noteworthy.

What is the Electoral roll revision exercise?

The SIR is a statewide drive to clean, update, and verify the voter list. While routine revisions occur annually, a special intensive revision is conducted when the ECI feels the need for more comprehensive verification, usually ahead of major elections or after significant demographic changes.

This time in Bihar, the revision mandates all voters — including those already registered — to fill an enumeration form. First-time voters or applicants have to provide proof of eligibility, including age and citizenship. Initially the ECI had provided a list of 11 documents acceptable for this purpose, but surprisingly it excluded most common IDs such as Voter ID cards, Aadhaar, and ration cards.

ECI officials across the state will carry out door-to-door verification with the help of booth-level officers. The objective is to identify and delete ineligible entries, add new eligible voters, and ensure no multiple entries for one individual.

Why is the Election Commission doing this?

According to ECI, this revision exercise is necessary to ensure accuracy, purity and integrity of electoral rolls. The state of Bihar has not had such an intensive revision since the early 2000s. Factors like population shift, migration, deaths, and administrative errors over the years also make ECI believe that the current electoral rolls have become outdated and potentially inaccurate.

The ECI has stated that the revision is meant to avoid duplicate entries, and to ensure that only Indian citizens above 18 years are included in the electoral roll, as mandated by Article 326 of the Constitution and provisions of the Representation of the People Acts.

According to the ECI, this is part of its constitutional responsibility and not driven by any political agenda.

Why Are Political Parties wary?

The exercise, however, has triggered political backlash, particularly from opposition parties. Their main concern is mass disenfranchisement.

The requirement to fill out forms afresh, coupled with the limited window for submission and the exclusion of popular ID documents, has raised fears that millions, especially the poor, rural, and migrant populations, could be left out. Bihar has a large migrant workforce, many of whom are not present in their home constituencies for long stretches and may find it difficult to comply with the process.

There are also concerns over the lack of awareness and confusion among voters, many of whom believe their names are already on the list and don’t understand why they must reapply.

Some parties have accused the ECI of attempting a backdoor disenfranchisement drive to benefit certain political interests. The term "votebandi" — an allusion to a deliberate suppression of the vote — has been used by leaders to describe the timing and scope of the revision.

What has happened in the Supreme Court so far?

The matter reached the Supreme Court in early this month, with multiple petitions challenging the legality and implementation which looks mammoth in its scale. Petitioners are of the view that the process violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21, and could lead to arbitrary exclusions of eligible voters from the electoral rolls.

Although the Supreme Court has not put a stay on the entire process but has made it clear that it would closely examine the procedure. The court expressed concerns about the tight timeline and lack of clarity on document requirements. The Apex Court also expressed its concerns on the possibility that excluded voters may not be having adequate time and opportunity for redressal before elections.

The bench also asked the poll commission to consider accepting voter ID cards, Aadhaar, and ration cards as valid documents. This will surely be a relief for many voters in the state. It also sought a detailed affidavit from the ECI explaining the legal basis of the SIR and the safeguards in place to protect genuine voters.

The next hearing is scheduled before the publication of the draft rolls.

The Road Ahead

As Bihar heads toward crucial elections, the debate over electoral rolls has become more than an administrative exercise. It is now a matter of public trust and democratic inclusion. The Election Commission must strike a delicate balance between cleansing the voter list and protecting the right of every eligible citizen to vote.