Why Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) debate matters for India’s Democracy? 

In a dramatic turn of events, Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls—launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in mid-2025—has ignited political flames across the state. Intended as a cleansing exercise to remove outdated and ineligible entries, it has instead become a flashpoint of accusations, court battles, and political posturing. 

• Congress Drops the Gauntlet 

The Congress party has emerged as the fiercest critic of the SIR. In a scathing statement, it branded the exercise “a devious and dubious idea disguised as a solution,” warning readers that government officials conducting door-to-door verification pose “a huge risk of wilful exclusion of voters using the power of the state machinery”. 

At a press conference in Patna, senior spokesperson Pawan Khera claimed the party had submitted 89 lakh complaints about irregularities—only to have them rejected by the EC for being improperly formatted. “The EC kept saying through its sources that no complaints are coming from any political party… The truth is that the Congress itself submitted 89 lakh complaints pertaining to irregularities in the SIR,” Khera said, demanding a fresh verification drive. 

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi presented the issue in dramatic terms during the “Voter Adhikar Yatra”: “SIR means stealing votes from the people of Bihar. Earlier, they used to do it secretly. Now they are doing it openly in front of everyone,” he declared, warning of an “institutionalized way for vote theft”. 

Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, in a rare display of urgency, labeled the SIR process "impractical and unjust," lamenting its rushed timeline amid monsoon season and asserting it targeted “the poor, labourers, farmers, and marginalized communities.” He urged INDIA bloc partners to unite against the drive, highlighting the plight of over three crore migrant workers potentially disenfranchised by inaccessible documentation and tight deadlines. 

• EC and BJP: Standing Their Ground 

The Election Commission has defended the SIR as a necessary process, highlighting that it aims to cleanse electoral rolls of ineligible entries, including duplicates and non-citizens. A press note revealed that, from June 24 to August 24, 98.2% of electors submitted the required documents—an average of 1.64% per day—leaving just 1.8% pending before the September 1 deadline; the final rolls are expected by September 30. 

The ECI also reassured the public that claims and objections would be processed by September 25, followed by a final roll publication on September 30.  The BJP, for its part, accused Congress of politicizing the process. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accused opposition parties of attacking constitutional bodies for electoral gain. Internally, the BJP mobilized booth-level volunteers to file inclusion claims proactively, pointing to high participation as proof of SIR’s fairness. 

• Judiciary Enters the Fray 

Amid mounting petitions from RJD, TMC, ADR, and others, the Supreme Court refused to suspend the SIR, underscoring its constitutional rationale while raising concerns over tight timelines and restricted access to commonly held documents such as Aadhaar or voter ID. 

Subsequently, the Court mandated the ECI to publish booth-wise exclusion lists, searchable by EPIC number, and display them publicly at polling and panchayat offices to ensure transparency. It also clarified that Aadhaar cannot be used as the sole proof of citizenship, affirming that while it may serve as identification, it does not establish voter eligibility on its own. 

In addition, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi cited an interim SC directive compelling the EC to accept Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards for inclusion claims, reinforcing legal protections for disenfranchised voters. 

• Transparency Must Trump Speed 

The SIR exercise in Bihar cannot be dismissed as a routine bureaucratic clean-up — its scale and timing make it a deeply political act. While the Election Commission is right in seeking accurate rolls, the sheer number of deletions — over 65 lakh — raises legitimate concerns about whether genuine voters may have been struck off in the process. 

Congress’s alarm is not entirely misplaced. In a state where migrant workers are frequently absent during verification drives, the risk of mass disenfranchisement is real. The BJP’s defense, meanwhile, underscores the need for clean elections, but its blanket rejection of the opposition’s concerns risks appearing dismissive of voter rights. 

The Supreme Court’s insistence on publishing booth-wise deletion lists and allowing claims until the last date of nominations is a crucial safeguard. Going forward, what Bihar needs is not just accuracy but inclusivity — an electoral roll that is both clean and complete. 

If democracy is to thrive, transparency must take precedence over speed, and trust must be rebuilt between institutions and citizens. Bihar’s voters cannot be made collateral damage in a bureaucratic rush or a political slugfest. 

• The writer Shahid Ahmed Hakla Poonchi is a Published Writer in the Daily Leading Newspapers of J&K and an Independent Researcher. He can be contacted at shahidhakla360@gmail.com