All voters have been verified and checked: Muzaffarpur district administration fact checks ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai who was trying to claim Bihar SIR is done “hastily”
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign by the Election Commission in the election-bound state of Bihar has been relentlessly targeted by the opposition and its ecosystem. From threatening to boycott the elections to labeling the process as voter fraud, various allegations have been directed at the EC by the anxious leaders of the Mahagathbandhan and their supporters.
Notably, these accusations have been repeatedly debunked by the relevant authorities. Nevertheless, this controversy doesn’t seem to be subsiding any time soon.
Now, India Today journalist Rajdeep Sardesai quoted a Dainik Bhaskar report to assert that the entire procedure is being conducted in a rushed manner.
Sardesai wrote, “We need a ‘purification’ of electoral rolls but a hastily done revision is not the solution,” on social media. He also lauded the media outlet for its “fine reporting” and for being the only “Hindi mainstream newspaper consistently raising the issue.”
The report was published on 10th August concerning polling station number 370 in 94-Muzaffarpur assembly, stating the presence of several voters at the same residential address.
However, the Muzaffarpur district administration swiftly countered Rajdeep’s attempt to question the crucial campaign. “Concerning the aforementioned report, it is important to note that in the Draft Roll of SIR 2025, there are 629 voters registered at polling station number 370 (which was polling station number-293 prior to the rationalization of polling stations)”, they stated
“Within this group, serial numbers 82 to 350 are listed under house number 27. In the most recent voter list published on 07.01.2025, before SIR 2025, the total number of voters at this polling station was 686, with serial numbers 97 to 384 recorded solely under house number 27,” Muzaffarpur administration further conveyed and highlighted that the house number assigned to voters in the electoral list is provisional and notional.
The administration mentioned that it is not derived from the actual house number or the voter’s identification number. There is no connection to the family and during the special intensive revision only the verification of eligible voters was conducted. They further said that the house number appears in the electoral list prior to the intensive revision. No alterations of any sort have been made to the house number during the drive.
The authorities further added, “It is noteworthy that in the final submission electoral list dated 07.01.2025, the voters in the specified house number of this polling station was similar and no objections were raised by the voters concerning this matter during the special intensive revision.”
The SIR drive is designed to eliminate fraudulent voters and ensure that only eligible individuals retain the right to participate in elections. Members of various political parties have also been invloved throughout the process.
According to the updated list, around 65 lakh names have been struck off the rolls in the state. The struck-off names primarily consist of deceased persons or those who could not be located at their registered addresses. But what’s surprising is the large-scale deletion of names in some districts, particularly in Muslim-dominated Kishanganj. Here, a record 1.45 lakh names have been removed from the list. This amounts to an astonishing 11.8% of the district’s total voter base. It can easily tip an election in which even a 4–5% margin can make a difference.
On 3rd August, the Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed that it has received 941 claims and objections related to Bihar’s draft electoral roll. However, not a single complaint out of the 941 has been filed by any political party including the Indian National Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
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