The Election Commission of India (ECI) reveals that in the Bihar Draft Voter List 2025, no political party filed objections within 14 days, despite thousands of claims and applications from new voters.
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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has received 23,557 claims and objections over the draft voter list in poll-bound Bihar following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. According to the ECI’s press note issued on Thursday, 741 complaints have already been disposed of by the concerned Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AERO).
The draft list, published on August 1, 2025, will be finalized after a one-month window for claims and objections, as per the SIR schedule.
After the publication of the draft voter list in Bihar on August 1, 2025, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process recorded a total of 23,557 claims and objections, of which 741 complaints have been disposed of so far.
Additionally, 87,966 applications were received from new electors on attaining the age of 18 years or above, including six from BLAS. As per the rules, claims and objections can be submitted within 14 days of publication, and the concerned ERO or AERO must decide on them within seven days after verifying eligibility documents.
Importantly, the Election Commission of India (ECI) noted that no political party submitted any claims or objections during the two weeks following the draft list’s release.
Under the SIR orders, no name can be deleted from the draft voter list without:
- Passing a speaking order by the ERO/AERO.
- Conducting a formal enquiry.
- Providing the concerned person a fair and reasonable opportunity to respond.
Supreme Court Hearing on SIR in Bihar
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of India began hearing petitions challenging the ECI’s decision to carry out an SIR in Bihar.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi observed that:
- The ECI is correct in stating that an Aadhaar card is not conclusive proof of citizenship.
- The inclusion or exclusion of names from the electoral rolls falls within the ECI’s mandate.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, argued that nearly 65 lakh voters had been excluded from the draft roll without any objections to their inclusion, terming the move illegal.
However, the bench clarified that under the rules, excluded individuals must apply for inclusion and that only at this stage can objections be considered. The court also disagreed with the claim that most people in Bihar lack the required documents for voter list verification.
Case Title:
In Association for Democratic Reforms & Others v. Election Commission of India, W.P.(C) No. 640/2025