ECI is going door to door to verify voters in Bihar, Tejashwi-Owaisi-Sagarika to Ravish Kumar, all are rattled: Read what is the SIR process, which the opposition is calling the ‘NRC’
Assembly elections are set to be held in Bihar by the end of this year. As part of preparation for the elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is undertaking the crucial task of verification of the voter list. This is called Special Intensive Revision (SIR). In this exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who oversee voting process in every village and locality, go door to door to verify the names of people in the voter list. This is to ensure that those with the right to vote are included in the list and those who are not entitled to vote for some reason, or those who have passed away, are removed from the list.
According to the Election Commission that the exercise is being carried out to make sure that there is no irregularity in voting. There are currently 7.89 crore voters in Bihar, and verification will ensure that only the legitimate and eligible people cast their votes. For this, more than 1.5 lakh booth-level agents (BLAs) have been appointed, who are working in collaboration with all the parties.
However, opposition parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), AIMIM, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and leaders like Tejashwi Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, and Sagarika Ghosh are baselessly equating this verification exercise with the NRC (National Register of Citizens). They say that all this is a conspiracy of the BJP and the NDA, to remove the poor, the Dalits, the backward classes and the Muslims from the voter list. Let us understand the verification process, what it entails, why it is happening and why the opposition is so uncomfortable with it.
How is the verification process being carried out?
The Election Commission started the verfication on 25 June 2025 and it will continue till 26th July. After the exercise is over, a revised and correct voter list will be published on 30th September. As part of the verification process, Booth Level Officers (BLO) are visiting all houses across the constituencies. They carry partially filled forms, which they handover to the people and ask people to fill in their details, such as names, addresses and attach some documents. These documents are needed to ensure that the person is eligible to vote.
If a voter’s name is in the voter list of 2003 (when the verification process was last carried out in Bihar), then he or she just has to confirm his/her information. If their parents’ names are in the list, then no additional documents are needed. However, if their parents’ names are not in the old list, then they need to provide some documents, like a birth certificate or any other relevant document.
Photo Credit: X_ECI
The BLOs upload all this information on a mobile app (ECINet). They also provide receipts to people after they fill out the forms. The EC has instructed that elderly, sick people or disabled people should not be unnecessarily troubled during the verification and should be provided with adequate assistance. The 2003 voter list has names of 4.96 crore people in Bihar. The Commission said that the people included in the list and their children do not need to provide any special documents. That means around 60% of the people will face no inconvenience.
Why the verification is being carried out?
The Election Commission said that it is necessary to update the voter list from time to time because many things change. Like-
Urbanization: People in Bihar are now moving from villages to cities.
Migration: Many people have moved out of Bihar for jobs or other reasons.
New voters: Names of youths turning 18 years old have to be added to the list.
Death: Some people have died, but their names are still in the list.
Illegal migrants: There may be some people who are not citizens of India but have got their names included in the list.
The commission said that after the necessary updates, a correct voter list will be ready. Article 326 of the Indian Constitution says that only Indian citizens who are above 18 years of age and live in a constituency can become voters in that consituency. The rules of the Representation of the People Act-1950 are being followed in the verification process. The Commission’s aim is that no genuine voter is left out and no wrong person is included the list.
Why is the opposition creating ruckus?
Opposition parties and some people are making a lot of noise about the verification process. They are claiming that this verification is a petext of the BJP to remove the poor, the Dalits, the backward classes and the Muslims from the voter list.
Tejashwi Yadav (RJD): Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav termed the verification as “suspicious and worrying”. He claimed that the BJP and the RSS want to snatch the voting rights of the poor people of Bihar under the pretext of this verification. He wrote on X, ” The sudden announcement of a special intensive revision by the Election Commission before the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar is highly suspicious and concerning. The Election Commission has ordered that all current voter lists be canceled, and every citizen must reapply to have their name added to the voter list, even if their name is already on the list. Why do BJP-RSS and NDA want to weaken the Constitution and democracy? We have asked some questions to the BJP’s puppet Election Commission. Please read and share with others.”
Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM): AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi described it as ”backdoor NRC”. He claimed that due to this verification, poor people will be removed from the list because they do not have documents like birth certificate. He further claimed that in 2000, only 3.5% people had birth certificate. Owaisi wrote a letter to the commission objecting to the verification.
Sagarika Ghosh (TMC): Sagarika Ghosh of Trinamool Congress claimed that the verification process involves strict scrutiny, it requires people to provide their parents’ birth certificates. She questioned where the common people, especially the poor, will get such old documents from? Notably, the TMC does not have foundation in Bihar, yet it is speaking on this issue.
Manoj Jha and Ravish Kumar: RJD MP Manoj Jha asked if 8 crore people could be verified in a month? He claimed that this could deprive poor and vulnerable people of voting. Journalist Ravish Kumar promoted Jha’s claims by sharing his post.
Ravish Kumar has supported Manoj Jha’s tweet by retweeting it ,
screenshot of the same tweet (Photo courtesy: X_Ravish_Journo)
Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijay Singh said that if the commission does not listen to the opposition, the ‘INDI’ alliance will go to court. He alleged that this investigation is an attempt to remove the poor and the marginalized from the voter list.
What is the NDA’s response?
The ruling NDA is supporting the verification process. NDA leaders believe that the opposition is making wild claims and inventing excuses out of fear of defeat. Union Minister Chirag Paswan said that correcting the voter list is in compliance with the law. The Representation of the People Act, 1950 states that it is necessary to update the list from time to time to remove discrepancies, such as the names of dead people or wrong people.
Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that there are up to 20,000 fake voters enrolled in voter lists in some places. This investigation will remove them, which will harm the opposition. That is why they are making noise. The NDA said that verfification will bring transparency and the right voters will benefit.
Voter verification is a normal process and has happened before
Voter verfication is not a new concept. Such exercises have been conducted several times since independence to correct and update the voter list.
- 1952-56: After the first general election, the lists for some areas were revised every year under intensive scrutiny.
- 1956: Special inspections were conducted in cities, working class areas, and areas where people moved around a lot.
- 1962-66: After the Lok Sabha elections, intensive and small-scale verification was conducted across the country in a few years.
- 1983-88: Intensive investigations were conducted in villages and towns.
- 1995-2002: Voter lists were also revised extensively in 1995 and 2002.
The last voter verification was conducted in Bihar in 2002 and the updated list was published in 2003. At that time, no one linked it to the NRC. But now, because the elections are near, the opposition is making it a big issue.
There are many ways to update a voter list-
- In-depth checking: A fresh verification is done without referring to the old list.
- Summary check: Updated without no door-to-door visits.
- Special tests: If something abnormal is detected, special verifications are conducted.
- Mixed checking: Verification by referring to the old list and going door to door.
A mixed investigation is currently underway in Bihar, for which the 2003 list has been taken as the basis.
The same old tune of the opposition
This noise by the opposition is not new. Before every big election, they raise some issue or the other. Sometimes they raise questions on the EVM, sometimes on the voter list and sometimes they call the Election Commission an ally of the BJP. Interestingly, when an opposition party wins an election, like in West Bengal or Tamil Nadu, all these questions disappear. But on losing, they level these allegations again, like the Congress is still making noise chasing the ghost of defeat in Maharashtra elections, and rehashing the same debunked lies even after being summarily rejected by the Election Commission and the High Court.
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