The Election Commission defended Bihar’s voter roll revision amid Opposition and ADR criticism, clarifying the draft list isn’t final. Congress, RJD, and ADR questioned its legality, while Tejashwi Yadav raised concerns over Aadhaar omission. The Supreme Court will hear the matter on Monday as INDIA bloc plans a protest.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, dismissing concerns that the draft list released on August 1 will serve as the final roll. The poll body clarified that voters and political parties still have time to submit claims and objections until September 1.

The Commission expressed confusion over the criticism, stating it is unclear why some groups are raising objections when there is a full month to address any wrongful inclusions or exclusions. It emphasised that the draft list is not final, as the revision process is still ongoing.

INDIA Bloc To Protest At Parliament Tomorrow

Meanwhile, the Opposition has stepped up its criticism. Leaders of the INDIA bloc will stage a protest at Parliament’s Makar Dwar on Monday morning. Earlier, several MPs had submitted notices in the Rajya Sabha demanding a debate on the matter. Opposition parties claim that the SIR could result in mass voter disenfranchisement, especially among citizens lacking proper documents.

Congress, CPI(M), RJD Question Legal Basis Of Voter Roll Revision

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, speaking at a joint press conference with CPI(M), RJD and CPI(ML) leaders, questioned the legality of the ECI's actions. He urged the Commission to pause the process and reconsider, calling its approach "institutionally arrogant" and describing the revision as a "citizenship test."

Tejashwi Yadav Writes to 35 Parties, Questions Omission of Aadhaar

Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, wrote to 35 political parties, including NDA allies, expressing concern over the process. He accused the ECI of threatening democratic integrity by allegedly disenfranchising large numbers of people. He also questioned why Aadhaar was not accepted as a valid document for the enumeration process.

ADR Flags Citizenship Verification, Cites SC Precedents

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has also raised legal concerns. In a rejoinder filed with the Supreme Court, ADR argued that the ECI does not have the authority to verify citizenship of existing voters during the revision. It cited two past Supreme Court judgements, Lal Babu Hussain vs Union of India (1995) and Inderjit Barua vs ECI (1985), which held that the burden of proving citizenship lies only with new applicants and that being on the voters’ list is itself proof of citizenship.

Supreme Court To Hear SIR Case Today

The Supreme Court is set to hear the matter on Monday, following ADR’s submission and growing criticism from civil society and political parties.

Over 91 per cent Voter Response Recorded In Bihar’s SIR Exercise, Says EC

According to the ECI, the SIR exercise saw a 91.69 per cent participation rate, with over 7.24 crore voters submitting enumeration forms out of 7.89 crore total electors in Bihar. The revision included house-to-house verification, where Booth Level Officers (BLOs) distributed semi-filled forms to voters. These forms could also be downloaded online and around 29 lakh were accessed digitally, with over 16 lakh submitted electronically.

During the revision, the Commission found that nearly 36 lakh voters were either untraceable or had permanently migrated. Additionally, around 7 lakh electors were enrolled in more than one location. The ECI asserted that no names would be removed without written notice and approval from Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), as per guidelines.

BJP Hits Back, Accuses Opposition Of Supporting Infiltrators

The BJP countered the Opposition’s claims, alleging that parties within the INDIA bloc were defending "infiltrators" and trying to influence the electoral process unfairly. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi stated that the revision aims to bring transparency and accuracy to the electoral rolls.

As both political and legal challenges mount, all eyes are now on the Supreme Court’s hearing on the SIR issue scheduled for Monday.