As Bihar prepares for the 2025 Assembly elections, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll has become a focal point of political dispute. Accusations of irregularities have surfaced, including reports of deceased individuals listed as voters and the exclusion of living citizens. Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD’s CM candidate, has alleged that his name is missing from the Election Commission’s draft voter list, despite completing the necessary enumeration process. The Janata Dal (United) responded by accusing Tejashwi of misleading the public regarding the voter list issue.
At a press conference in Patna, Tejashwi Yadav voiced his concerns, stating that his name was absent from the electoral roll. He highlighted the inability to find his information using his EPIC number, expressing his concerns about contesting the elections. The Patna district administration promptly responded, confirming that Tejashwi Yadav’s name is present, but with a change in his polling station and serial number. Tejashwi questioned the extent of these changes and whether this was part of a larger plan to remove names. JDU’s spokesperson Neeraj Kumar responded sharply, labeling Tejashwi Yadav a “political fraud.” The Election Commission issued an immediate rebuttal, emphasizing that Tejashwi Yadav’s name is included in the draft electoral roll. This exchange has created heightened tensions in Bihar’s political arena, especially with the upcoming elections. The draft electoral roll for Bihar has been released, with a low submission rate of necessary documents from the 7.23 crore applicants. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Roll, a special process for verifying voter lists, is being conducted in Bihar. Objections regarding discrepancies can be made from August 1st to September 1st, 2025, and the voters can check their details at the ECI website. The objectives of the exercise were to ensure the inclusion of names of all eligible citizens in the electoral roll in a transparent manner. The last intensive revision for Bihar was conducted in the year 2003.