Opposition parties in India are raising concerns over a proposed revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, warning it could leave out many legitimate voters—especially from marginalised groups.
On Wednesday, leaders from 11 parties in the INDIA bloc met with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi. They submitted a joint representation challenging the Commission’s plan for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
The opposition’s central argument is that the rules under the new process are too complex and may result in mass disenfranchisement.
Voter Proof Requirements Under Fire
The main concern stems from new documentation demands. Under the SIR rules, voters must submit their own and their parents’ birth certificates to confirm their eligibility, depending on their year of birth.
“This will lead to the deletion of tens of lakhs of genuine voters,” the representation read. The parties argue that the requirement is especially burdensome for economically disadvantaged and rural populations, many of whom may not possess such records.
Another controversial point is a policy that exempts only those whose names appeared on the 2003 electoral rolls. For everyone else, re-enrolment is mandatory.
“The classification lacks clarity and legal justification,” the opposition stated.
Fears of Targeted Exclusion
Opposition leaders warned that this bureaucratic process effectively gives too much control to government officials. They fear it could be misused to exclude voters through arbitrary decisions.
“It effectively hands over control to lakhs of state and central government officials, who will now determine who has valid documents and who does not,” the representation said.
CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, who was part of the delegation, said the Commission failed to give clear responses during the meeting.
“We said the poor will not have these documents,” he told reporters. “They said those who are in the 2003 voters’ list will be presumed citizens. The rest will have to prove their citizenship.”
Bhattacharya added that people in Bihar are referring to the move as “votebandi,” likening it to the disruptive impact of demonetisation.
Legal Remedies May Be Limited
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, also present at the meeting, voiced concern about the lack of legal safeguards.
“If the voter’s name is deleted, and elections are announced, courts may not take up the issue,” he said.
Singhvi estimates that at least two crore voters may be at risk.
“Especially SCs, STs, and migrants among the nearly eight crore voters in Bihar may not be able to meet the document requirements,” he said.
He questioned the rationale behind the timing of the revision.
“If the last revision was in 2003, and four or five elections have taken place since then, were all those elections flawed?” he asked. “Why conduct this massive revision now, so close to the general and assembly elections?”
No Final Word Yet
The Election Commission still hasn’t said a word, even after the opposition laid out all its complaints. The timing couldn’t be worse, with huge elections coming up fast.
This whole fight is over the very basics of how people vote, and the final call is going to affect millions of us.
