The Election Commission of India (ECI), as the constitutional authority entrusted with ensuring free and fair elections, undertook a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the 2025 Vidhan Sabha elections. This rare exercise, conducted after a gap of over two decades, aimed at creating an accurate and updated voter list by removing ineligible entries such as deceased, migrated, or duplicate voters, while simultaneously enrolling new and young electors. The revision, carried out through door-to-door enumeration by Booth Level Officers, involved wide public participation, political party oversight, and judicial scrutiny. The process led to the deletion of approximately 65.6 lakh names, reducing the electorate from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore, and triggered significant political debate and legal intervention. The Supreme Court of India directed the ECI to ensure transparency, publish a booth-level list of deletions, and accept Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration cards as valid verification documents. While the initiative strengthened the integrity of the electoral roll, it also generated controversy over alleged disenfranchisement and timing, raising critical questions about voter rights, administrative efficiency, and political neutrality. This study of the SIR in Bihar highlights the delicate balance the ECI must maintain between electoral integrity and inclusivity, and offers insights into the challenges of conducting large-scale voter roll revisions in a politically sensitive and demographically complex state.
Abhishek Raj (Fri,) studied this question.
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