The Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to publish the final voter list for Bihar today, marking the conclusion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This critical update comes after a three-month-long review aimed at ensuring the accuracy of the state’s electoral rolls, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Following the release of the voter list, the Election Commission is expected to announce the Bihar election schedule next week.

The Bihar SIR has attracted nationwide attention due to its scale, timing, and the political debates it has triggered. With 7.24 crore electors listed in the draft rolls and over 14 lakh new voters likely included in the final list, the stage is set for what promises to be a highly contested election.

What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

The SIR exercise is a rigorous update of the electoral rolls, designed to ensure that every eligible citizen is registered to vote while removing ineligible or duplicate entries. It addresses several issues, including deceased voters, people who have relocated, and duplicate registrations caused by migration and urbanisation. The process also scrutinizes entries for illegal or fraudulent inclusions.

According to reports, the Bihar SIR was the first such comprehensive revision in over two decades, with the draft electoral rolls initially published on August 1, 2025. During the SIR, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visited homes across the state to verify information, ensuring that citizens added after 2003 provide valid documentation proving citizenship and eligibility. Citizens born after July 1, 1987, also had to provide documents indicating their parents’ place and date of birth.

The SIR was conducted to correct discrepancies in Bihar’s electoral rolls and ensure accurate, error-free voter lists. The Election Commission cited rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young voters reaching voting age, unreported deaths, and the inclusion of names of foreign illegal immigrants as key reasons necessitating the revision.

Why Was Bihar Chosen for the SIR?

The ECI selected Bihar for the Special Intensive Revision due to significant inconsistencies in its voter rolls and the imminent Assembly elections. The Commission clarified that Bihar’s SIR is part of a nationwide phased initiative, rather than a process limited solely to the state.

The update has led to substantial deletions from the draft list. As per ECI data released on July 23, approximately 5.6 million entries were removed from Bihar’s voter rolls. This included:

• 2 million deceased voters

• 2.8 million who had permanently moved

• 700,000 registered at multiple locations

• 100,000 voters who could not be contacted

These deletions were aimed at ensuring the rolls are accurate, transparent, and free from duplication.

Opposition Criticism and Allegations

The SIR exercise has been a flashpoint for political criticism. Opposition parties have questioned both the timing and the intent of the revision.

In July 2025, Congress leaders staged protests, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanding transparency: "All political parties should have access to the data provided by the Election Commission of India, so why has it not been provided?"

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the ECI of bias, alleging that the process favored the BJP: "The names of many voters are being continuously removed… This is a conspiracy by the BJP, and the BJP is getting its work done by using the Election Commission as a front," ANI reported.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to engineer a landslide victory in Bihar. In response, the ECI firmly denied these allegations, asserting that the SIR process was legal, transparent, and conducted with full checks. The Commission emphasized that no voter can be removed without notice, an opportunity to respond, and a proper order. Political parties had access to draft lists and were consulted during the revision process.

In defiance of the Commission’s assurances, Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav launched a ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ across Bihar, highlighting concerns over alleged "vote theft" and unfair exclusions.

Legal Challenges in the Supreme Court

The SIR process has also reached the Supreme Court of India, where petitioners argued that the revision could lead to large-scale disenfranchisement. The Court’s next hearing on the matter is scheduled for October 7, 2025.

Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasized inclusivity, stating they would not hesitate to scrap the voter list if irregularities were found. They permitted Aadhaar as a valid identity document for voter registration, despite it not being originally listed among the 11 accepted documents. The bench underscored the principle of "en masse inclusion" rather than "en masse exclusion," reflecting the judiciary’s proactive stance on voter rights.

Timeline and Process of the Bihar SIR

The SIR in Bihar began in June 2025, covering all 7.89 crore registered voters, who were asked to re-submit their forms. After a one-month house-to-house enumeration from June 25 to July 25, the draft voter list was released on August 1, 2025, containing 7.24 crore names.

The draft rolls were open for claims, objections, and submission of supporting documents until September 1. Around 6.5 lakh entries were removed for being duplicates, belonging to deceased individuals, or for other discrepancies.

The final voter list, reflecting corrections and inclusions, is now ready for publication, setting the stage for the Bihar Assembly elections.

How to Check Your Name in Bihar’s Final Voter List

Voters can verify their registration online, via mobile app, or by SMS. The steps to check your name online are:

• Visit the official Election Commission websites: https://electoralsearch.eci.gov.in or https://voters.eci.gov.in

• Click on “Search in Electoral Roll”

• Search using either:

  • Your name, date of birth, state (Bihar), district, and assembly constituency, or

  • Your EPIC (Voter ID) number

• The search results will display your booth name, serial number, and EPIC number

Access to the New Voter List

The Election Commission has clarified that nationally recognized political parties will receive the Bihar voter list free of cost. Eligible parties include BJP, JDU, RJD, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), and NPP. They can collect both hard and soft copies for all 243 assembly constituencies.

Unrecognized regional parties, new parties, and independent candidates must pay for access. The fee is:

• Hard copy: ₹100 per assembly constituency

• Soft copy (PDF): ₹50 per assembly constituency

For the entire state, this totals ₹24,300 for hard copies and ₹12,150 for soft copies, with additional charges for polling booth-level data if required.

Bihar Poll Dates and Election Preparations

The current Bihar Assembly’s five-year term ends on November 22, 2025. According to sources, the first phase of polling is likely to occur soon after the Chhath festival in late October, with the Commission reviewing poll preparedness in Patna on October 4–5, 2025.

A briefing for general, police, and expenditure observers is scheduled for October 3. Once the election schedule is officially announced, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will be enforced, restricting government transfers, postings, and announcements until the elections conclude.

Postal Voting and Special Provisions

Certain voters are eligible to vote via postal ballots, including members of the armed forces, government employees posted abroad, individuals on election duty, voters under preventive detention, and special officeholders such as the President, Vice-President, Governors, Union Cabinet ministers, and Speakers.

Political Reactions

Bihar Minister Nitin Nabin expressed confidence in the SIR, stating: "The release of the Bihar SIR will settle many political debates. Parties accused of vote theft in the past are now raising false concerns. The process only stopped infiltrators, while genuine citizens of Bihar and India had no issues."

Union Minister Chirag Paswan also criticized RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks about the Nitish Kumar-led government, calling them “copycat” political games, reflecting Opposition desperation ahead of the elections.

By-Polls in Seven States

Alongside the Bihar Assembly elections, the EC is expected to announce bypolls in seven states. A total of 470 officers from IAS, IPS, IRS, IRAS, and ICAS will serve as observers. The constituencies include:

• Budgam and Nagrota (Jammu & Kashmir)

• Anta (Rajasthan)

• Ghatsila (Jharkhand)

• Jubilee Hills (Telangana)

• Tarn Taran (Punjab)

• Dampa (Mizoram)

• Nuapada (Odisha)

Why SIR is Crucial for Indian Democracy

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar highlighted the urgency of the current revision in The Indian Express, noting that in some regions, illegal immigrants have been added to voter lists using fake Aadhaar identities. He emphasized that accurate electoral rolls are essential to preserving the integrity of Indian democracy, and that the SIR is a necessary step to cleanse and update voter data nationwide.

What's Ahead

The publication of Bihar’s final voter list today marks a pivotal moment in the state’s political calendar. With legal challenges pending in the Supreme Court, political campaigns intensifying, and over 7 crore voters potentially impacted, the Bihar Assembly elections are shaping up to be a major electoral battleground. Citizens and political parties alike will be closely watching both the voter list release and the subsequent election schedule announcement, likely to take place in early October 2025.

The last Bihar Assembly elections in 2020 were conducted in three phases under COVID-19 restrictions, with the ruling NDA winning 125 seats and the main opposition alliance, Mahagathbandhan, securing 110 seats. As Bihar heads into another high-stakes electoral contest, the SIR and final voter list are at the heart of the debate, shaping the state’s democratic future.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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