Bihar Election 2025: Opposition uproar over voter list amendment, experts expressed concern about threat to democracy

Patna: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of Bihar Assembly Election 2025 has created a political storm. Opposition parties have strongly opposed the process, calling it 'undemocratic' and 'vote ban', while experts have expressed deep concern over its timing and complex documentation.

What is voter list amendment?

The Election Commission announced a special intensive revision of voter list in Bihar on 27 June 2025, under which 8 crore voters will be checked. In this process, voters will have to submit birth certificate, passport or one of the other 11 valid documents to prove their citizenship and date of birth. Voters born after 1987 will also have to provide documents of parents. The draft list will be published on August 1, and the final list will be ready by September 30.

Opposition objections

The All India Alliance, which comprises RJD, Congress, and CPI-ML, has called the process a conspiracy to 'implement NRC by stealth'. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "This is an attempt to disenfranchise the poor, Dalit, and minority communities." The opposition alleges that lakhs of people in rural and poor areas of Bihar could be excluded from the voter list due to lack of documents such as birth certificates. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi questioned the ECI's new rules, saying that allowing only party presidents to meet limits dialogue.

Experts' concerns

Experts have questioned the haste of the process and the complexity of the documents. Senior journalist Kaushalendra Priyadarshi said, "Birth registration in Bihar has been historically low. Invalidating common documents like Aadhaar and ration cards is beyond comprehension." An editorial in The Hindu called it an 'assault on democracy' and said that the process could target marginalised communities, especially Dalits, Muslims, and migrant workers.

Election Commission's response

The ECI claimed that the process is under Article 326 of the Constitution and is aimed at including only eligible voters. The commission said that 98,500 booth level officers (BLOs) and 1 lakh volunteers are engaged in this work. However, the demand of opposition parties for an emergency meeting was deferred by the commission until all the parties confirm their presence.

Political atmosphere

The opposition has started making this issue a part of the election strategy. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi called it a 'conspiracy against the poor and minorities'. On the other hand, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that only the names of non-citizens would be removed.[](https://www.aajtak.in/topic/bihar-assembly-election-2025)

What next?

This controversy can further heat up the election atmosphere of Bihar. If the process is not transparent and inclusive, the voting rights of millions of voters may be at risk, raising questions about the fairness of the election.