EC, Opposition lock horns over voter roll revision in Bihar ahead of elections

A sharp political face-off has erupted between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and opposition parties over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, where state elections are due later this year.

Late on Wednesday night, the Election Commission hit out at opposition parties for not attending a scheduled meeting to discuss the SIR process.

The EC’s statement came after Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh sharply criticised the voter roll revision, stating that while ‘notebandi’ (demonetisation) had destroyed the economy, ‘votebandi’ would destroy democracy.

Accusing the parties of lacking seriousness on the SIR issue, the EC said that only the heads of the CPI and CPI (ML) turned up for the meeting.

In a veiled reference to Jairam Ramesh, the EC added that he was not authorised by his party to attend the meeting.

INDIA bloc protests before EC revision of Bihar electoral rolls, calls timing suspect

“An email was received by the ECI from a counsel claiming to represent 10 political parties on 30 June 2025, requesting an urgent appointment to discuss the ongoing SIR in Bihar any time after 4 PM on 2 July 2025. The parties included the Indian National Congress, All India Trinamool Congress, RJD, Samajwadi Party, DMK, NCP(SP), JMM, CPM, CPI, and CPI(ML).

“Considering the seriousness of the matter, the ECI immediately sent invitations to the heads of all 10 parties on 30 June itself, inviting them—along with one authorised representative—to meet the Commission at 5 PM on 2 July,” the EC stated.

It added that only two party heads attended—CPI and CPI (ML) —while others sent representatives who were not duly authorised.

The Election Commission stated that out of the 14 individuals who attended the meeting, only five were authorised representatives from the RJD, CPI(M), and CPI(ML-L). The remaining participants, including Jairam Ramesh, were not authorised by the heads of their respective political parties, the EC noted.

Ramesh remarked that while the PM’s ‘notebandi’ in November 2016 had destroyed the Indian economy, the Election Commission’s ‘votebandi’—as reflected in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and other states—threatens to destroy democracy itself.

“Today, the INDIA delegation met the Election Commission on the subject of the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The Commission was literally compelled to meet the delegation after having refused to do so. A few of us could not meet the ECI, which unilaterally imposed a limit of 2 representatives per party. I myself had to hang around in the waiting room for almost two hours,” Ramesh said.

He alleged that over the last six months, the ECI had conducted itself in a way that undermines the very basis of our democratic system.

“The ECI is a constitutional body. It cannot routinely refuse requests for a hearing from the Opposition. It must abide by the principles and provisions of the Constitution. Most importantly, it cannot dictate arbitrary rules for interacting with political parties such as deciding the designation of those attending or the number who can attend or who is or isn’t an authorised person,” the Congress leader said.

Ramesh added that when the delegation challenged these new conditions, the EC told them: “This is a new Commission.”

“We shudder to think what this ‘New’ Commission’s gameplan is. How many more Master(s)strokes can we expect?” he said.

Opposition parties have expressed concern that the Special Intensive Revision could result in the disenfranchisement of nearly two crore voters in Bihar.

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