ECI Faces Heat as Opposition Alleges Voter Roll Manipulation in Bihar
Patna, September 4, 2025 — The Election Commission of India (ECI) is under intense scrutiny as opposition parties, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the INDIA bloc, accuse it of manipulating voter rolls in Bihar ahead of the state’s crucial assembly elections scheduled for November 2025. The controversy centers on the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a month-long exercise conducted between June and July 2025, which has led to the deletion of 6.5 million voters from Bihar’s draft electoral list. Allegations of voter suppression, particularly targeting marginalized communities, have sparked protests, legal challenges, and a 16-day, 1,300-km Voter Adhikar Yatra (Voter Rights March) led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, escalating the political fight as the ECI defends its process as transparent and necessary.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Controversy
On June 24, 2025, the ECI announced the SIR, described as the first intensive revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls since 2003, aimed at updating the voter list to ensure “free and fair elections.” The exercise, which involved door-to-door verification of Bihar’s 78.9 million voters, resulted in a draft roll published on August 1, 2025, with 72.4 million names—6.5 million fewer than the previous roll. The ECI attributed the deletions to 2.2 million deceased voters, 700,000 duplicate entries, and 3.6 million who migrated out of the state. Corrections are open until September 1, with over 165,000 applications received to address errors.
The ECI justified the SIR as a response to rapid urbanization, migration, and complaints from political parties about outdated voter lists. Chief Electoral Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, in a press conference on August 17, 2025, emphasized that the process was conducted with “complete transparency” and involved over 1.6 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by political parties. The ECI also plans to extend similar revisions to West Bengal and other states, signaling a nationwide overhaul of electoral rolls.
However, opposition leaders have labeled the SIR a “logistical nightmare” and an attempt to disenfranchise voters, particularly Muslims, Dalits, and migrant workers, who they claim are less likely to support the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The timing of the SIR, just months before the elections, and its stringent documentation requirements have fueled suspicions of political bias.
Opposition Allegations and Protests
The RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav, has been at the forefront of the protests, questioning why the SIR was limited to Bihar when a similar exercise was conducted nationwide in 2003. “If it was so urgent, why wasn’t it started after last year’s Lok Sabha elections?” Yadav asked, alleging that the ECI is “wrongfully deleting” voters unlikely to support the NDA. He cited the short 30-day timeline and the requirement for post-2003 voters to provide proof of citizenship, identity, and residence as exclusionary, especially in a state with high poverty and migration rates.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has escalated the issue nationally, accusing the ECI of “vote theft” akin to alleged irregularities in Karnataka’s 2024 parliamentary elections. At a press conference on August 7, 2025, Gandhi claimed that the ECI’s haste and opaque process could disenfranchise “tens of thousands” of voters, particularly migrants and minorities. His Voter Adhikar Yatra, launched on August 23, 2025, has galvanized opposition support, with leaders like CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya joining the march to demand a halt to the SIR until transparency is ensured.
The opposition’s claims are supported by reports of errors in the draft rolls. A BBC investigation in Bihar’s villages found cases of wrong photos, deceased individuals listed as active voters, and multiple registrations at single addresses. In Kishanganj, a Muslim-majority district, a Hindustan Times review noted high voter deletions, raising concerns about targeted exclusions. Social media posts on X, such as one by @nit_set on August 26, 2025, alleged that 80,000 voters in three constituencies—Pipra, Bagaha, and Motihari—were registered at non-existent addresses, with one “house” listing 509 voters.
Legal Challenges and Supreme Court Involvement
The controversy has reached the Supreme Court, which is hearing multiple petitions challenging the SIR’s legality and execution. On July 5, 2025, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, filed a plea arguing that the SIR violates the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950, and risks disenfranchising marginalized communities. The petition highlighted the ECI’s refusal to accept Aadhaar or ration cards as valid documents and the lack of due process in voter deletions.
On August 14, 2025, the Supreme Court, led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, ordered the ECI to publish the list of 6.5 million excluded voters with reasons for their removal by August 19, emphasizing voters’ “right to know.” The court mandated that the list be searchable by EPIC number, displayed on District Electoral Officers’ websites, and publicized through newspapers, radio, and TV. The ECI was also directed to accept Aadhaar as proof of identity and residence, addressing concerns about inaccessible documentation. The next hearing is scheduled for August 22, 2025, with the court warning it would intervene if “mass exclusion” is proven.
Advocates like Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the SIR’s compressed timeline and reliance on 11 “indicative” documents, such as birth certificates (held by only 3.05% of Bihar’s population), disproportionately burden the poor. They cited the 1995 Lal Babu Hussein case, which prohibits shifting the burden of proving citizenship onto existing voters. The ECI countered that 6.5 crore voters, registered before 2003, are exempt from additional documentation, and the process adheres to Article 324 and Section 21 of the RPA.
ECI’s Defense and Transparency Measures
The ECI has robustly defended the SIR, calling opposition allegations “misleading” and an “insult to the Constitution.” Chief Electoral Commissioner Kumar stated that the exercise was necessitated by complaints from all parties, including the opposition, about outdated rolls. He emphasized that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted door-to-door verifications, and political parties were invited to appoint BLAs to ensure oversight. The ECI also refuted claims of removing searchable voter lists from its website, asserting that all data remains accessible on ECINET for authorized officials.
In response to the Supreme Court’s directive, the ECI has uploaded the list of deleted voters and reasons for exclusion, with physical copies displayed at polling stations and local offices. Kumar dismissed accusations of targeting minorities, noting that no religious breakdown of deletions was recorded, making such claims unverifiable. He added that the SIR’s success is evident in the 98.3% form submission rate, though RJD’s Shivanand Tiwari contested this, alleging that many BLOs failed to visit villages or were inadequately trained.
Broader Implications and Political Fallout
The Bihar SIR controversy has intensified political polarization, with the opposition framing it as a threat to democracy. The INDIA bloc, including RJD, Congress, and CPI(ML), has threatened to explore legal options and is considering an impeachment motion against the Chief Electoral Commissioner, though it lacks the parliamentary numbers to succeed. The BJP has dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” with leader Anurag Thakur accusing the opposition of preempting electoral defeat in Bihar.
Experts warn that the controversy could erode public trust in the ECI, a constitutional body tasked with ensuring free and fair elections. Former Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami told BBC Tamil that large-scale deletions are common during intensive revisions, citing Karnataka’s 2008 exercise, which removed 5.2 million voters. However, critics like Yogendra Yadav argue that the SIR’s timing and scale risk alienating vulnerable communities, particularly in a state where 36% of the population lives below the poverty line.
The issue is likely to dominate Bihar’s election campaign, with the opposition leveraging it to mobilize voters. Senior journalist Smita Gupta told BBC Hindi, “Whatever the Election Commission says, the opposition will definitely make it an issue in the upcoming Bihar elections.” The state’s political landscape, already charged after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA fold in 2024, faces further volatility as parties vie for support in a high-stakes contest.
Looking Ahead
As the September 30, 2025, deadline for the final voter roll approaches, the ECI faces pressure to address errors and restore confidence. The Supreme Court’s oversight, combined with public and political scrutiny, will shape the outcome of the SIR and its potential replication in other states. For now, Bihar’s 78.9 million voters, particularly its marginalized communities, await clarity on their right to vote, with the nation watching closely to see if the ECI can navigate this crisis and uphold its constitutional mandate.
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