ECI Defends Bihar Voter List Revision, Rejects Allegations of Bias and Irregularities

New Delhi, August 17, 2025 — The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, strongly refuting claims of bias or irregularities.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar reiterated that under the Constitution, every Indian citizen aged 18 and above has the right to vote, and the Commission treats all political parties equally, regardless of whether they are in the ruling camp or the opposition.

“For the last two decades, political parties have demanded corrections in electoral rolls. The Special Intensive Revision is precisely aimed at addressing these concerns,” Kumar said. He added that over 28,370 claims and objections have already been filed, with 15 days still remaining for further submissions.

The CEC urged all political parties and booth-level agents to actively participate in the process rather than spreading misinformation. “On the ground, Booth Level Officers, BLAs, and voters are working together transparently. Yet, some parties are misrepresenting facts to create confusion,” he remarked.

Clarifying the debate over voter lists, Kumar explained the difference between “machine-readable” and “searchable” rolls, noting that the Supreme Court in 2019 had raised concerns about privacy. He also highlighted that correction forms Form 6 (inclusion), Form 7 (objection), and Form 8 (correction) remain open for use during the draft period.

Responding to queries on the presence of foreigners in voter rolls, Kumar said an intensive probe of enumeration forms is underway and non-citizens will be excluded if detected.

He also stressed that errors in electoral rolls should not be conflated with “double voting.” “One person can only vote once. Wrong entries in voter lists do not mean stolen votes,” Kumar said.

Citing the Commission’s compliance with the Supreme Court directive, he said searchable district-wise lists of 65 lakh deleted names were made available within 56 hours. “If allegations target 1.5 lakh voters without evidence, should all be served notices? Those making such accusations must either file an affidavit or apologise to the nation,” Kumar added.