Ahead of the upcoming polls in the state scheduled later this year, the Election Commission stated on Sunday that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was progressing as per its order and the draft list would contain the names of existing voters whose enumeration forms were received.

A social media post by the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar issued a clarification saying the exercise was being undertaken “exactly” as per the notification of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The X post reads, “Important Information – SIR in Bihar is progressing as per ECI’s order dated 24 June 2025. As per that order, the draft electoral rolls that will be issued on August 1, 2025 will contain the names of the existing electors whose enumeration forms are received.”

“All measures are being taken to facilitate the existing electors to complete the documentation. These existing voters will have time to submit the documents even after first submitting their enumeration forms. All activities are exactly as per ECI’s order dated 24.06.2025,” it further says.

ECI clarification amid social media outcry

The statement from the Election Commission comes amid social media posts talking about a “change” in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, pointed out by opposition parties.

Recently, the Election Commission of India issued an advertisement in newspapers which stated that those who did not have the requisite documents at hand could “submit only their enumeration forms” to the officials concerned. This had led to a perception that the ECI had gone back on many of the contentious parts of the mammoth exercise which, according to parties in the opposition, had become a virtual test of citizenship.

Following the advertisement, netizens flooded the social media with posts about the perceived “change”.

Opposition from INDIA bloc

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which is being carried out only in Bihar, where assembly elections are due in about a couple of months, has been opposed by the INDIA bloc, which comprises prominent parties like the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress among others. INDIA bloc parties have also decided to flag the issue in the state on July 9 as part of a nationwide strike called by Left-leaning trade unions.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which is being carried out months ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, has been criticised by the opposition, which has said crores of voters are at risk of being left out and even termed the exercise a “conspiracy” to ensure BJP’s success. A major point of the opposition is the fact that the Election Commission (EC) made submitting at least one of 11 documents a must for verification.

Voters can get verified in the electoral rolls as part of Special Intensive Revision in Bihar: ECI

After criticism by opposition parties, the Election Commission said voters can get verified in the electoral rolls as part of the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar even without submitting the mandatory documents. If the documents are not given, the Electoral Registrar Officer will carry out verification based on investigation at the local level.

The documents being accepted include:

Birth certificate

Passport

Identity card or pension payment orders issued to government employees or pensioners

Permanent residence certificate

Forest right certificate

Caste certificate

Family register prepared by state and local authorities

Land or house allotment certificate issued by the government

Notably, Aadhaar is not being accepted.

Election Commission’s SIR of Electoral Rolls in Bihar challenged in Supreme Court

Meanwhile, the validity of the election commission’s controversial decision to direct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls in Bihar just months before the polls has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The Association for Democratic Reforms has told the apex court that the decision of the ECI would disenfranchise lakhs of marginalised people in the state which is against free and fair election.

“The SIR order dated 24.06.2025 if not set aside, can arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, thereby disrupting free and fair elections and democracy in the country, which are part of basic structure of the Constitution,” the petition reads.

“The documentation requirements of the directive, lack of due process as well as the unreasonably short timeline for the said Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Roll in Bihar further make this exercise bound to result in removal of names of lakhs of genuine voters from electoral rolls leading to their disenfranchisement,” it further says.