Bihar Elections: Cong Opposes Revision Of Electoral Rolls; Says 'Vote-Bandi' Will Disenfranchise 2 Crore Voters

With a few months left for assembly elections in Bihar, leaders of several INDIA bloc parties on Wednesday met the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state, and raised concerns over its timing.

The Opposition leaders feared that the mammoth exercise could disenfranchise two crore voters of the state just ahead of the assembly elections. The exercise that has already started in Bihar is to be carried out in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal as well, which are going to the polls next year.

Taking a sharp dig against the BJP-led Centre, Congress claimed that after the prime minister's 'notebandi' (demonetisation) that 'destroyed' the country's economy, EC's 'Vote-bandi' in Bihar will demolish India's democracy.

According to PTI, leaders from 11 parties, including the Congress, RJD, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, NCP-SP and the Samajwadi Party, put forth their objections before Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other election commissioners to the special scrutiny of the voters' list.

What Did The Congress Say?

Briefing the media after the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said a minimum of two crore people may be disenfranchised in this exercise as many, especially, the SCs, STs, migratory and impoverished, among the nearly eight crore voters in Bihar may not be in a position to present their and their parents' birth certificates to the poll authorities in such a short period.

He also claimed that they would not be able to challenge the removal of their names from the electoral rolls as polls would begin by then, and courts do not hear challenges when elections are underway.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "After the PM's 'notebandi' of November 2016 destroyed our economy, ECI's 'VOTE-Bandi' in Bihar and other states, as reflected in the SIR, will destroy our democracy."

Ramesh in his X post said, "The Election Commission was literally compelled to meet the delegation after having refused to do so. A few of us could not meet the ECI, which unilaterally imposed a limit of two representatives per party. I myself had to hang around in the waiting room for almost two hours."

"Over the last six months, the ECI has conducted itself in a manner that undermines the very basis of our democratic system. The ECI is a constitutional body. It cannot routinely refuse requests for a hearing from the Opposition. It must abide by the principles and provisions of the Constitution."

He said the EC "cannot dictate arbitrary rules for interacting with political parties such as deciding the designation of those attending or the number who can attend or who is or isn't an authorised person".

"When the delegation rejected these new rules as arbitrary and confused, the Election Commission informed us that this is a 'New' Commission. We shudder to think what this 'New' Commission's game plan is. How many more Master(s)strokes can we expect?" RJD leader Manoj Jha said the meeting was "not cordial".

"We expressed our concern about the poor, backward classes in Bihar. We saw a lack of concern from the Election Commission," he said.

Singhvi said, "We asked the EC that the last revision was in 2003, and for 22 years after 4-5 elections have happened, were all those elections faulty or imperfect or unreliable. The SIR was held one year before the general elections and two years before the assembly elections." He said that in a maximum period of one or two months, the EC is holding an electoral revision exercise of India's second most populous state, Bihar, which has roughly under eight crore voters.

"This disenfranchisement and disempowerment is the worst attack on the basic structure of the Constitution. We gave universal adult suffrage in 1950, when so-called advanced countries like the USA and the UK got it only in 1924 and 1928.

"Today, every vote counts, even if you wrongfully delete or wrongfully add a single voter, it is creating a non-level playing field and that affects elections, that affects democracy," the Congress leader said.

Elections and democracy are part of the basic structure, and it is said that even a constitutional amendment is unconstitutional if it affects the basic structure, he asserted.

Singhvi asked, "How do you expect the very diverse voting population of Bihar, the backwards, the flood-affected, the poor and impoverished, the SC/ST, the unempowered or even the migrant to spend the next two months running from pillar to post to get the birth certificate of his own and his father/mother." It is easy to say that the volunteers will help him, but if a person does not get the certificate within the time limit, that individual loses a place in the electoral roll, he noted.

"We have said that upwards of 2.5 crore to 3 crore persons, let us assume the minimum figure of two crore may be disenfranchised in this exercise.

"We are not against it (SIR), but this can be done with great care after this election. Why choose this time, just ahead of the assembly elections," Singhvi said.

He alleged that this exercise was announced suddenly.

What Did EC Say?

The apex poll body on Wednesday told the Opposition leaders that SIR is being conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 326, RP Act 1950 and instructions issued on 24.06.2025. They also said each concern raised by the parties was "fully addressed" by the Commission.

The Election Commission has issued instructions to carry out a Special Intensive Revision in Bihar to weed out ineligible names and ensure all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll, allowing them to exercise their franchise in the polls slated later this year.

The poll panel has said it has taken additional steps in the intensive revision to ensure illegal migrants do not get enrolled in the voters' list.

(With PTI Inputs)