The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday revealed that no political party in Bihar has yet filed any claims or objections regarding the draft electoral roll published on August 1, even as the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list continues across the state.
Between 3 PM on August 1 and 3 PM on August 3, no political party submitted a request for the inclusion or deletion of names from the electoral roll, the poll panel said. However, during the same period, 941 individual voters submitted applications either to add their names or to object to the inclusion of names they believe are ineligible.
According to a bulletin released by the ECI, the absence of party-level claims comes even as individual voters have actively engaged in the revision process. The Commission reiterated that political parties and electors have until 1 September to raise any claims or objections concerning the draft list.
The Election Commission also responded to criticism from opposition parties, which have accused the process of potentially disenfranchising crores of eligible voters due to documentation issues. The ECI has firmly stated that “no eligible person will be left out of the final electoral roll,” which is scheduled to be published on 30 September.
On July 9, 2025, LoP in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav staged a protest rally in Patna during ‘Bihar bandh’ called by the INDIA bloc against Special Intensive Revision in the state. Besides this, INDIA parties have been staging continous protests in Bihar Asssembly session as well as the Parliament demanding a discussion on the matter.
On Sunday, Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi reiterated the opposition parties’ demand for a discussion on the revision of the voter list in Parliament
“Today, there is a question mark in the minds of the people regarding the neutrality of the EC. That is why we want a discussion in Parliament. The government is trying to hide something. What is it? Is it their manipulation in the last assembly polls and Lok Sabha election?” the Assam Congress chief asked, as quoted by news agency PTI.
He said the Opposition wants an open discussion in Parliament regarding the voter list, which is being revised in Bihar.
“The common people should know the status of their voting rights and details of polling stations. We want a discussion on this, but the government is saying they cannot discuss the matter. Their logic is that the Election Commission is not related to any department. This is an absurd logic because the Chief Election Commissioner is appointed by the PM and government,” he added.
Bihar SIR: Special Camps, Youth Enrolment Drive Underway
To aid the process, the Commission has set up special camps in all Block-cum-Circle Offices and Urban Local Body Municipal Offices. These centres will operate daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, including weekends, until 1 September, news agency IANS reported.
As part of a campaign launched on 1 August to enrol young voters turning 18 between 1 July and 1 October, a total of 4,374 eligible youths have submitted their forms along with required declarations.
The ECI has also urged all eligible electors to submit updated photographs to their Booth Level Officers (BLOs) by 1 September, as new voter identity cards will be issued.
To support the claims and objections process, the Commission has provided political parties with a list of voters who were included in the 24 June electoral roll but are missing from the draft released on 1 August.
As per the ECI, 1.60 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by district presidents of all 12 recognised political parties are actively participating in the ongoing fieldwork.
The draft electoral rolls, prepared following the enumeration phase conducted from 24 June to 25 July, have been published across all 90,712 polling booths in the 243 Assembly constituencies of Bihar. District Election Officers (DEOs) in all 38 districts shared these drafts with political parties on 1 August, the Commission confirmed.