Bihar voter list revision sparks opposition outcry over ‘votebandi’
| 2025-07-03
The Election Commission said all concerns raised by the leaders were addressed.
Bihar voter list revision triggers opposition protest as parties accuse India’s Election Commission of risking disenfranchisement ahead of elections.
Opposition parties in India have accused the Election Commission of risking mass voter exclusion in Bihar by conducting a large-scale electoral roll revision just months before state elections.
A delegation of 11 parties led by senior Congress politician Abhishek Manu Singhvi met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Wednesday to protest against what they called an “unprecedented” process. They argued that the special intensive revision could disenfranchise millions, particularly migrant workers and economically disadvantaged communities.
“This is nothing less than ‘votebandi’ for Bihar,” said Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, referring to the 2016 demonetisation policy that abruptly removed high-denomination currency notes. “Democracy in Bihar is under threat.”
Disputed verification process
The controversy centres on the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of assembly elections expected later this year. Under this programme, voters must verify their names through documentation and physical checks, while officials remove ineligible entries.
The Commission has defended the move as essential to uphold the Representation of the People Act 1950, which requires only Indian citizens to vote. A statement said the process was being carried out “with full participation” from political parties and in accordance with constitutional provisions.
But opposition leaders claim the exercise was announced abruptly in January and will be nearly impossible to complete accurately in the short time available.
“If the last intensive revision happened in 2003, why is this being pushed now?” Mr Singhvi said after the three-hour meeting. “You didn’t mention this process until January, and suddenly it’s implemented when elections are due in two or three months.”
He added that with nearly 80 million voters in Bihar, any rushed verification risks widespread errors and exclusion. The Congress leader also criticised the lack of Aadhaar-based authentication despite the widespread use of the national identity system for other government services.
Limits on delegation access
Further friction arose over the Commission’s decision to restrict each party to two representatives in the meeting. Senior figures including Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh and leader Pawan Khera were reportedly left waiting outside Nirvachan Sadan, the Commission’s headquarters in Delhi.
“For the first time, we were told only party chiefs can go in,” Mr Singhvi said. “Such restrictions mean that necessary dialogue between political parties and the Election Commission can’t happen.”
The Commission defended this policy, stating that it allowed a “plurality of viewpoints” and had in some cases permitted participants without appointments to join discussions.
Concerns of exclusion
Leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party voiced fears that the document requirements could disproportionately affect marginalised voters. RJD parliamentarian Manoj Jha said many poor and migrant families did not possess the 11 forms of identification needed for those missing from older rolls.
“If this exercise leads to exclusion rather than inclusion, what is its purpose?” Mr Jha asked. “Twenty percent of Biharis live outside the state. Are you trying to find doubtful voters or remove them?”
Mr Bhattacharya warned that Bihar’s significant migrant population faced the risk of disenfranchisement if they could not return home in time to verify their names. “A major people’s movement is now necessary,” he said.
Election Commission response
In its official statement, the Election Commission insisted it had addressed all the concerns raised. It said nearly 78,000 booth-level officers were already deployed in Bihar and an additional 20,000 would be appointed to oversee verification in new polling stations. More than 100,000 volunteers are expected to assist elderly, disabled, and economically vulnerable voters.
The Commission described the revision as part of a broader effort across six states to remove non-citizens from voter lists, including migrants from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
“The Constitution of India is supreme,” the statement read. “All citizens, political parties, and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution.”
Potential legal challenge
While opposition leaders stopped short of announcing a court challenge, Mr Singhvi, a senior advocate in the Supreme Court, said legal options remained open.
“This is not the place to say these things,” Mr Jha added, when asked by reporters whether the coalition would file a case. “We will decide and inform the media.”
Context
Bihar, India’s third most populous state, has long faced challenges in maintaining accurate electoral rolls. Large seasonal migrations and gaps in documentation have often resulted in voters being omitted or misidentified. In the 2019 national election, the state recorded turnout rates below the national average, partly attributed to the absence of migrant workers on polling day.
The current dispute highlights wider concerns about India’s electoral integrity and transparency, as opposition parties increasingly allege bias or inefficiency in the conduct of polls.
A delegation of 11 parties led by senior Congress politician Abhishek Manu Singhvi met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Wednesday to protest against what they called an “unprecedented” process. They argued that the special intensive revision could disenfranchise millions, particularly migrant workers and economically disadvantaged communities.
“This is nothing less than ‘votebandi’ for Bihar,” said Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, referring to the 2016 demonetisation policy that abruptly removed high-denomination currency notes. “Democracy in Bihar is under threat.”
Disputed verification process
The controversy centres on the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of assembly elections expected later this year. Under this programme, voters must verify their names through documentation and physical checks, while officials remove ineligible entries.
The Commission has defended the move as essential to uphold the Representation of the People Act 1950, which requires only Indian citizens to vote. A statement said the process was being carried out “with full participation” from political parties and in accordance with constitutional provisions.
But opposition leaders claim the exercise was announced abruptly in January and will be nearly impossible to complete accurately in the short time available.
“If the last intensive revision happened in 2003, why is this being pushed now?” Mr Singhvi said after the three-hour meeting. “You didn’t mention this process until January, and suddenly it’s implemented when elections are due in two or three months.”
He added that with nearly 80 million voters in Bihar, any rushed verification risks widespread errors and exclusion. The Congress leader also criticised the lack of Aadhaar-based authentication despite the widespread use of the national identity system for other government services.
Limits on delegation access
Further friction arose over the Commission’s decision to restrict each party to two representatives in the meeting. Senior figures including Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh and leader Pawan Khera were reportedly left waiting outside Nirvachan Sadan, the Commission’s headquarters in Delhi.
“For the first time, we were told only party chiefs can go in,” Mr Singhvi said. “Such restrictions mean that necessary dialogue between political parties and the Election Commission can’t happen.”
The Commission defended this policy, stating that it allowed a “plurality of viewpoints” and had in some cases permitted participants without appointments to join discussions.
Concerns of exclusion
Leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party voiced fears that the document requirements could disproportionately affect marginalised voters. RJD parliamentarian Manoj Jha said many poor and migrant families did not possess the 11 forms of identification needed for those missing from older rolls.
“If this exercise leads to exclusion rather than inclusion, what is its purpose?” Mr Jha asked. “Twenty percent of Biharis live outside the state. Are you trying to find doubtful voters or remove them?”
Mr Bhattacharya warned that Bihar’s significant migrant population faced the risk of disenfranchisement if they could not return home in time to verify their names. “A major people’s movement is now necessary,” he said.
Election Commission response
In its official statement, the Election Commission insisted it had addressed all the concerns raised. It said nearly 78,000 booth-level officers were already deployed in Bihar and an additional 20,000 would be appointed to oversee verification in new polling stations. More than 100,000 volunteers are expected to assist elderly, disabled, and economically vulnerable voters.
The Commission described the revision as part of a broader effort across six states to remove non-citizens from voter lists, including migrants from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
“The Constitution of India is supreme,” the statement read. “All citizens, political parties, and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution.”
Potential legal challenge
While opposition leaders stopped short of announcing a court challenge, Mr Singhvi, a senior advocate in the Supreme Court, said legal options remained open.
“This is not the place to say these things,” Mr Jha added, when asked by reporters whether the coalition would file a case. “We will decide and inform the media.”
Context
Bihar, India’s third most populous state, has long faced challenges in maintaining accurate electoral rolls. Large seasonal migrations and gaps in documentation have often resulted in voters being omitted or misidentified. In the 2019 national election, the state recorded turnout rates below the national average, partly attributed to the absence of migrant workers on polling day.
The current dispute highlights wider concerns about India’s electoral integrity and transparency, as opposition parties increasingly allege bias or inefficiency in the conduct of polls.
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