ADR moves Supreme Court against ECI's directive to Bihar voter roll revision, cites ‘risk of mass disenfranchisement'
The ECI's order is arbitrary and could potentially lead to the disenfranchisement of millions of voters.
The plea argues that the ECI's order is arbitrary and could potentially lead to the disenfranchisement of millions of voters, LiveLaw reported.
According to the Election Commission, the first visit of the Booth Level Officers (BLOS) to nearly 1.5 crore households in the state was completed ON Friday and over 87 per cent Enumeration Forms (i.e. 6,86,17,932) out of the total of 7,89,69,844 (nearly 7.90 crore) electors in Bihar who are enrolled as on June 24, 2025, have been distributed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being conducted in the state.
The remaining houses could be locked, or belong to deceased electors, migrants, or those who may be travelling.
Since the BLO shall be visiting the houses of the electors three times during the exercise, these figures are likely to increase further.
The partially filled forms are also available for download on the ECI portal, as well as on the ECINET App. Electors can upload the filled forms themselves on the ECINET App. Besides, 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAS) appointed by various political parties are also providing active support in the SIR process, ANI reported.
As on July 2, BJP has appointed 52,689 BLAS, followed by 47,504 of RJD, 34,669 of JD(U), 16,500 of INC, 1913 of Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party, 1271 of CPI(ML)L, 1153 of Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas), 578 of CPI(M), 270 of Rashtriya Lok Samta Party besides others such as BSP (74), NPP (3) and AAP (1). Each BLA can submit up to 50 certified forms per day.
Verification will commence vigorously from August 2, 2025, onwards, following the publication of the draft electoral rolls. Based on the published Draft of Electoral Rolls, Claims and Objections will be received from any political parties or any member of the public from 2nd August 2025 onwards.
The final electoral rolls will be published on September 30, 2025. Appeals can also be filed thereafter with the DM and the CEO.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Anti-Constitutional, Can Lead To Nationwide Protest: Farooq Abdullah On Bihar Voter List Revision
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is 'anti-Constitutional' and could spark widespread agitation across India to protect the Constitution, warned National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. Abdullah strongly criticized the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to conduct the SIR in Bihar, describing it as a direct threat to the constitutional right to vote. He made these remarks on the sidelines of a party event in Kulgam, South Kashmir. He argued that the SIR undermines the voting rights enshrined in the Constitution by B.R. Ambedkar, which guarantees every Indian citizen above the age of 18 the right to vote. Abdullah claimed the ECI's new requirements for voter registration—such as submitting documents to prove citizenship—go against this fundamental right. 'When the Constitution was framed by B.R. Ambedkar, everyone had a right to vote. Then it was amended to give voting rights to 18-year-olds and above. Today, they [ECI] have brought a new law that is against the Constitution,' Abdullah said. He raised concerns about the practical difficulties this process poses for over 1.5 crore Biharis working outside the state. 'How will they fill the form (for enrolment)? How will they vote? Where will they get the certificates for their deceased parents?' he asked, highlighting the logistical challenges the new documentation requirements present, especially for migrant workers. Abdullah also accused the ECI of acting to 'please their master,' suggesting political motives behind the timing and nature of the revision, possibly aimed at influencing the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for November 2025. He further warned that if the ECI proceeds with the SIR, it could trigger mass protests across the country. 'If they push it through, there will be an agitation to save the Constitution, and it will be bigger than earlier agitations. May Allah grant them wisdom to safeguard the Constitution,' he said. The ECI announced the SIR on June 24, 2025, as part of efforts to update Bihar's electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly elections. The last such revision in the state took place in 2003. The process involves House-to-House Verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), during which electors must submit enumeration forms and documents to prove citizenship. Bihar has 7.89 crore registered voters. Of these, approximately 4.96 crore—who were listed in the 2003 rolls—need only verify their existing details. The remaining 2.93 crore voters, particularly those born after 1987, are required to provide documents such as birth certificates or parental records. The draft electoral roll is scheduled for publication on August 1, 2025. A claims and objections period will run until September 1, with the final roll to be released on September 30, 2025.
NDTV
an hour ago
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Poll Body Says May Complete Bihar Roll Revision Exercise Before Deadline
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has expressed confidence that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar will be completed well ahead of the July 25 deadline, based on the progress recorded up to 6 P.M. on Tuesday. According to the ECI, as of now, 3,70,77,077 Enumeration Forms amounting to 46.95 per cent of the total 7,89,69,844 (approximately 7.90 crore) electors in Bihar, have been collected since the launch of the exercise on June 24. In the first two weeks, all 7.90 crore Enumeration Forms were printed, and over 97 per cent (7,70,44,990) have already been distributed to eligible electors. Furthermore, 18.16 per cent of the collected forms have been uploaded to the ECINET platform. A significant number of prospective electors are choosing to submit their Enumeration Forms along with the required eligibility documents, as per the SIR order dated June 24. With 17 days still remaining, the focus now shifts to collecting the remaining 50 per cent of the forms. In just the last 24 hours (till 6 P.M. on Tuesday, July 8) as many as 82,78,617 forms were collected -- representing 10.5 per cent of the total in a single day. "If this pace continues, the collection phase could conclude well before the July 25 deadline," the ECI statement said. To accelerate the process, an additional 20,603 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been deployed, taking the total number on the ground to 77,895. These BLOs have already completed the first of their mandated three household visits, with the second round currently underway. In addition, nearly 4 lakh volunteers, including government officials, NCC cadets, NSS members, and others, are assisting the elderly, differently-abled, and vulnerable populations in filling and submitting the forms. The administrative machinery is also fully mobilised, with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) covering all 243 Assembly Constituencies and 963 Assistant EROs, 38 District Election Officers, and the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar overseeing the process at the ground level. Recognised political parties, too, are playing an active role, the ECI statement said. District presidents of political parties have ramped up the appointment of Booth Level Agents (BLAs), with the current number standing at 1,56,626 -- up from 1,38,680 at the beginning of the exercise. Political parties still have the option to appoint more BLAs under provision 25.2.1 of the Manual on Electoral Rolls.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
EC ropes in Pankaj Tripathi, web series characters to encourage voter registration
1 2 3 Patna: Amid confusion among the electorates over the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has roped in Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi and shared images of actors Durgesh Kumar and Sunita Rajwar of a popular web series to encourage new registration. However, the idea has drawn bitter reactions from social media users. "Banrakas and Kranti Devi (characters portrayed by Durgesh and Sunita in the web series) have filled up their enumeration forms, have you," asked a social media post by the Election Commission of India on Monday. The post is an attempt to encourage the general electors to fill up their forms too, amid the opposition parties questioning the EC's move. "Par ee dono to Phulera niwasi hai aur Phulera Madhya Pradesh me hai. Desh ka bhugol bhul gaye ka (But, both of them are residents of Phulera in Madhya Pradesh. Have you forgotten the country's geography)," reacted a social media user. Another user, Tauseef Ahmad, commented that when both of the actors are from Ballia, how did they fill up the forms in Bihar? Earlier, the poll body released a video clip featuring Bollywood actor Tripathi to raise awareness about the SIR drive. In the video clip, the actor can be heard saying, "We can't stop people from thinking, but yes, we can definitely try to change their minds." The video was shared by the PIB.
