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The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced that the initial phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has been completed, with the printing and distribution of enumeration forms nearly finished. According to the ECI release, as of 6 PM on Sunday, 1,69,49,208 forms—21.46 per cent of Bihar’s total 7.90 crore enrolled electors—had been collected. Additionally, 7.25 per cent of these forms have already been uploaded on ECINET.

The Commission emphasised that the SIR is being implemented smoothly at the ground level with active cooperation from voters, and reiterated there had been no change in the instructions issued on 24 June 2025, contrary to rumours circulating on social media.

“No Political Party Was Satisfied with Current Rolls”: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Amid Bihar SIR Row

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar highlighted the extensive groundwork carried out across Bihar, stating, “During the past 4 months, all 4,123 EROs, all 775 DEOs and all 36 CEOs have held nearly 5,000 meetings with 28,000 political party representatives. ECI has also invited all Recognised political parties for interaction. No one was satisfied with the current status of electoral rolls for one reason or the other,” as quoted by news agency ANI.

The ECI release further noted that 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been going door to door to help voters fill out and submit their enumeration forms, often taking live photographs to ease the process. Another 20,603 BLOs, along with nearly four lakh volunteers—including government officials, NCC cadets, and NSS members—are assisting elderly, differently-abled, sick, and vulnerable voters.

EC Refutes Allegations, Urges Electors to Ignore Rumours

Responding to claims by political leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar, who alleged that the SIR was part of a conspiracy to disenfranchise marginalised communities, the ECI clarified that the process follows the order dated 24 June 2025. The Commission stated electors have until 25 July 2025 to submit their documents, with further opportunities during the Claims and Objections period after the draft rolls are published on 1 August 2025.

The Commission also warned voters against misleading statements circulating online and reiterated that the exercise is necessary to address issues like rapid urbanisation, migration, non-reporting of deaths, and inclusion of ineligible names, including foreign illegal immigrants. According to the ECI, these steps aim to ensure the preparation of error-free electoral rolls.

Opposition Slams Bihar SIR, Questions Timing

The ongoing SIR exercise has triggered sharp political exchanges ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post translated from Hindi, alleged a “conspiracy by BJP-RSS to snatch away voting rights of Dalits and other deprived sections,” accusing the ruling coalition of trying to manipulate the electoral rolls.

Echoing Kharge’s stance, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar criticised an EC advertisement suggesting forms alone were sufficient, saying at a press conference, “The ad exposes the incompetence of the EC and gives rise to doubts of unethical help extended to the ruling party.”

Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav also questioned why the SIR was exclusive to Bihar, unlike the nationwide revision in 2003. Earlier, INDIA bloc leaders met EC officials in New Delhi and Patna to express their concerns.