Bihar electoral roll revision: EC ahead of July 25 deadline, over 80% enumeration forms collected so far
The ECI also said over 80 per cent electors had submitted their forms, adding that the commission is well ahead of the stipulated time to finish the collection by July 25.
In a statement released on Saturday, the poll panel also said that additional 20,000 booth-level officers have been appointed in Bihar to finish the collection of the enumeration forms.
'With 77,895 BLOs, an additional 20,603 newly appointed BLOs on ground, ECI is moving ahead to the complete the collection of Enumeration Forms (EFs) will before the stipulated time of 25th July 2025,' the ECI said.
The poll panel said that 1.5 lakh booth-level agents (BLAs) appointed by all political parties are visiting door to door and 'leaving no stones unturned to ensure inclusion of each and every existing elector whose names are in the electoral roll in Bihar as on June 24, 2025".
Special efforts are also being made to assist senior citizens, PwD electors, and other valuable groups by over four lakh volunteers, the statement said.
'Having completed 100% printing and near completion of distribution of EFs to all electors who were found at their addresses, as of 6pm today collection crossed 6,32,59,496 or 80.11%. Which means 4 out of every 5 5 electors in Bihar has submitted the EF. With this pace, majority of EFs are likely to be collected much before 25th July 2025,' it said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Election Commission to continue with its exercise of conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi did not stay the SIR process but asked the ECI to consider allowing Aadhaar, ration cards, and electoral photo identity cards as admissible documents to prove voter identity during the SIR of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar.
"We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc.. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners. Meanwhile, petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay," the bench stated in its order.
(With inputs from agencies)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Shubhanshu Shukla, crew's return journey to Earth; Jannik Sinner wins Wimbledon 2025; and more
Good morning! After over two weeks at the International Space Station (ISS), NASA's Axiom-4 mission crew with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and 3 others are set to begin their journey back to Earth today. In his farewell address on the eve of day of return, Group Captain Shukla, the first Indian on board the ISS,said: 'Today's India looks ambitious from space… today's India still looks 'saare jahan se acha.' The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has been an equal partner in the entire exercise, said the microgravity experiments conducted by Shukla during the mission represent a significant leap in space technology. From the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocking to the splashdown off California coast on Tuesday – catch all the real-time action via our live blog! Follow suit: The Election Commission's move to carry out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls stirred up confusion and quite a controversy. But, there's more to follow. A day after a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the decision, the poll panel wrote to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all other states on July 5, directing them to begin preparations for a similar exercise, The Indian Express has learnt. Qualifying date: The official letters sent out indicate that while the nationwide exercise may start soon, a final timeline for the rest of the country is yet to be decided — though the aim is to include everyone who turns 18 years of age by January 1, 2026. Likely impact: This move gains significance against the backdrop of the upcoming Assembly elections in 2025 in BJP-ruled Assam; TMC-ruled West Bengal; DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu; and Left-ruled Kerala. The Union Territory of Puducherry will also elect a new Assembly next year. Whether the SIR in these four states — three of which are ruled by Opposition parties — will be linked to the Assembly elections next year may depend on how the top court hearing on the Bihar exercise unfolds. 🎧For a detailed recap of the Bihar case in court, tune in to today's episode of our 3 Things podcast. Some unanswered questions: Over the weekend, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report on the probe into the deadly Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad airport on June 12 came into the spotlight. The initial probe report, released on Saturday morning, is only an account of the initial findings of the investigation, and is subject to change. That said, there's some scope for reading between the lines. From sketchy cockpit voice recorder (CVR) details to an interesting addition of an aviation psychologist in the probe team – this particular report marks a departure from the normal. Here's more. GST reforms: To speed up the process of overhauling the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to initiate discussions with all stakeholders — states as well as Central ministries — to resolve outstanding issues. This brings the proposal to do away with the 12 per cent slab back on the table. Though this would simplify the multiple rate structure, it is estimated to amount to significant losses of Rs 70,000-80,000 crore for the Centre and states combined, top sources said. Iran's 'air power': For the Opinions section today, columnist Syed Ata Hasnain writes on the longstanding asymmetry in Iran's force structure and what it needs to be a strategic global actor. In reference to the Iranian strikes on Israel in April 2024, the former corps commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps explains why the country's 'missile-rich, air force-poor doctrine was, surprisingly, decades in the making'. 'Adult content', AI and an arrest: Last week, an Assamese woman's 'provocative posts' on Instagram made her an overnight sensation over claims that she had entered the adult film industry. Now, it has emerged that she was the victim of a cybercrime from a man she studied with, and who allegedly morphed her images and videos using AI tools to harass her. The 30-year-old accused was arrested on Saturday night, after the police tracked him down via information that he had provided to create the profile, which gathered over a million followers in a short period. Sinner is a winner: On Sunday evening, Jannik Sinner rounded out a deserved four-set victory to win his first Wimbledon title. The win tasted sweeter to the Italian as it came against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, only five weeks after the latter clinched the French Open title. The World No. 1's best came out in a match that lacked the same epic feel of their clash in Paris last month. Until next time Vibha Vibha B Madhava is a sub-editor at the news desk for She is interested in writing about gender, culture and politics of ableism. Having specialised in digital journalism, she is keen to explore various forms of interactive, multimedia storytelling. Apart from that, she also likes to experiment with social media. Qualification, Degrees/other achievements: Bachelor's degree in Media and Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. PG Diploma in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. With The Indian Express, this is Vibha's first stint in pursuing journalism in a full-time capacity. Previous internship experience: Deccan Herald, Bengaluru; The News Minute, Bengaluru; The Mojo Story; Radio Indigo 91.9 and Fever FM 94.3 (Hyderabad) You can find her on Twitter as @VibhaBMadhava , on LinkedIn (Vibha B Madhava), or write to her at ... Read More
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Who are qualified as ‘ordinarily resident'?
The story so far: The Election Commission of India (EC) has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. This has kindled the debate around the term 'ordinarily resident' for the purpose of being included in the electoral rolls of a constituency. Who is 'ordinarily resident'? The electoral rolls are prepared by the EC as per the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RP Act). Section 19 of the RP Act requires that a person is 'ordinarily resident' in a constituency for inclusion in its electoral roll. Section 20 provides the meaning of the term 'ordinarily resident'. It specifies that a person shall not be deemed to be 'ordinarily resident' in a constituency only because he/she owns or possesses a dwelling house therein. However, a person temporarily absent from his/her place of residence shall continue to be 'ordinarily resident' therein. Persons who are (a) members of armed forces of the Union, (b) armed police force of a State serving outside that State, (c) employed by the Government of India in a post outside India or (d) holding a constitutional office declared by the President in consultation with the EC are considered, along with their spouse, to be 'ordinarily resident' in the constituency where they would have been 'ordinarily resident' but for such posting. Section 20A was added in 2010 to enable non-resident Indians who have shifted out of India, even for long term, to register and vote in the constituency in which their address as per passport is located. The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 (RER), notified by the Central government in consultation with the EC, governs the preparation of, and inclusion/exclusion of names in the electoral rolls as per the provisions of the RP Act. What are potential issues? The requirement of being 'ordinarily resident' for inclusion in the electoral roll of a constituency is to ensure that the voter maintains real ties with the constituency that preserves representative accountability. It is also aimed at preventing fraudulent registrations. The Gauhati High Court in the Manmohan Singh case (1999), indicated that the term 'ordinarily resident' shall mean a habitual resident of that place. It must be permanent in character and not temporary or casual. It must be a place where the person has the intention to dwell permanently. A reasonable man must accept him/her as a resident of that place. The issue arises when it comes to migrant labourers. The Periodic Labour Force Survey of 2020-21 estimated that around 11% of our population migrated due to employment related reasons. This translates to close to 15 crore voters being migrant labourers within or outside their States. Some of these migrations are seasonal in nature where the labourers return to their ordinary residence for some months of a year. Many migrant construction and security workers live in temporary shacks/residences at their place of work. They move from one location to another, within a State or even in different States, as part of their work. They return to the ordinary residence in their home State at regular intervals. They exercise their right to vote in that place where their families and children live and where their properties exist. While they may not be residing permanently in such residence, the philosophy behind being 'ordinarily resident' as opined by the courts is broadly fulfilled with respect to that residence for such migrant workers. Any migrant has the right to shift his/her vote to their new place of residence anywhere in India if they so desire. However, removal of migrant voters from the electoral roll of their original residence by following a strict interpretation of the term 'ordinarily resident' can vitiate the democratic process. It may result in their disenfranchisement as most of them would not be keen, and neither welcome, to register as voters in their temporary place of work. What can be the way forward? The RP Act provides the option to service voters, persons holding a declared office and NRIs to retain the vote in their constituency even though they may not be permanently residing in such place. While it may not be an apple-to-apple comparison, it must be noted that most labourers, short-term or long-term, migrate on account of lack of opportunities in their region. They continue to have close connections with their original residence and choose to retain their right to vote in such constituency. The RP Act or the RER may be suitably amended to preserve the choice of migrant labourers. Suitable mechanisms, acceptable to all stakeholders, to enable participation of migrant labourers in the elections should be explored. The issue of migrants enrolling more than once in different constituencies should be addressed separately through Aadhaar seeding. Rangarajan. R is a former IAS officer and author of 'Courseware on Polity Simplified'. He currently trains at Officers IAS Academy. Views expressed are personal.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Opposition Questions ECs Hurry Over Nationwide Electoral Roll Revision Ahead Of SC Verdict
New Delhi: With the Bihar elections approaching, the Election Commission has directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across all states to initiate preparations for a Bihar-like Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. However, Opposition parties have criticized the move, questioning the "hurry" of implementing a nationwide SIR without consulting political parties. Parties across the Opposition spectrum, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and the Left, said on Sunday that the Election Commission should have waited for the Supreme Court to conclude its hearing on the matter before issuing directions for a Bihar-like Special Intensive Revision. Last Thursday, the Supreme Court, while hearing a batch of petitions raising concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, declined to restrain the Election Commission from proceeding with the exercise. However, it suggested that the Commission consider using Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards to update the electoral rolls. The Court allowed the EC to file a counter-affidavit by July 21, with the next hearing scheduled for July 28. According to reports dated July 5, just a day after a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, the Election Commission wrote to Chief Electoral Officers across all states, directing them to begin preparations for a similar exercise, this time using January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date. The mention of January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date suggests that while the nationwide exercise may begin soon, a final timeline for its completion across the country is yet to be determined. The objective, however, is to ensure the inclusion of all individuals who turn 18 by that date. Leaders from various Opposition parties on Sunday criticized the Election Commission for moving ahead with plans to implement a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) nationwide, arguing that the poll body should have waited for the Supreme Court to deliver its judgment on the matter. They questioned the rationale behind initiating such a significant exercise without broader consultation and before the legal proceedings, specifically concerning Bihar, had concluded. Opposition leaders voiced strong reservations about the Election Commission's decision to initiate a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Among their key concerns were the perceived haste in rolling out the exercise and the absence of prior consultation with political parties. They argued that such an important move, one that directly impacts voter inclusion and electoral transparency, should not be undertaken unilaterally, especially while the legality of the process in Bihar is still under judicial scrutiny. Speaking to the media, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing the petitioners in the Supreme Court case challenging the SIR in Bihar, said that any statement by the Election Commission holds little weight until the Court delivers its verdict. 'A statement of the ECI is effectually meaningless because everything will depend on the outcome of the pending case in the Supreme Court, not only on July 28, but on a few dates thereafter,' Singhvi said. 'Depending on that outcome alone, everything else will proceed or not proceed. Merely giving jingoistic statements is meaningless. Let us wait for the entire Supreme Court proceedings to work itself out.' Congress MP and Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore accused the Election Commission of disregarding the Supreme Court's views, saying, 'The latest directives from the ECI show it is not ready to respect the Supreme Court's views as well… it shows how the ECI has been completely compromised.' RJD Rajya Sabha member Manoj Kumar Jha expressed concerns over the timeline in Bihar and the EC's failure to consult political parties. 'As ground reports from The Indian Express and other media platforms indicate, the ECI is brazenly focusing on headline management while ignoring the concerns of enumerators and those undergoing enumeration,' he said. Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Javed Ali Khan criticized both the EC and the BJP, calling the electoral roll revision 'arbitrary.' He added, 'The EC can conduct this exercise nationwide, but it should wait for the Supreme Court order in this matter.' TMC Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose questioned whether the EC was effectively preparing a citizens' register under the guise of electoral roll revision. 'Our party believes the main target of the SIR exercise is Bengal. This is an NRC from the backdoor. The EC should clarify if it is preparing a citizens' register, which is not its job,' Ghose said. She further warned that millions of Indians lack the documents the EC is demanding, giving the Commission excessive discretionary power to decide what constitutes valid documentation and potentially strike voters off the rolls. 'This is a malafide exercise targeting the poorest and most vulnerable. The EC is going far beyond its remit,' she added. CPI(M) leader John Brittas clarified that the Opposition is not opposed to revising voter lists to remove fake voters. 'However, this should not be used as a ploy to conduct an NRC through the backdoor or to manipulate the electorate,' he said. Brittas emphasized that the Election Commission must heed the Supreme Court's observation that deciding citizenship is not within its mandate. 'The EC should also consult political parties before undertaking such an exercise,' he added. 'All valid IDs, including Aadhaar and voter ID cards, should be accepted for this process, and voters must be given sufficient time to participate,' John Brittas added. CPI general secretary D. Raja questioned the Election Commission's urgency in initiating a nationwide revision of electoral rolls. 'The Supreme Court is still hearing the matter, and the EC has yet to respond. Why the rush? Especially when states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal face elections next year. The EC owes an explanation for this haste,' Raja said.
