As Bihar gears up for the 2025 Assembly elections, a dispute has emerged over the integrity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The state is facing allegations of irregularities, including the presence of deceased individuals and the exclusion of eligible voters. Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD’s CM candidate, has alleged that his name is missing from the Election Commission’s draft voter list, despite filling out the required enumeration form. He voiced concerns over how he would be able to contest in the upcoming elections. Janata Dal (United) responded by accusing Tejashwi of misleading the public regarding the voter list. Addressing a press conference, Tejashwi stated that his name was absent from the electoral roll after entering his EPIC number. The Patna district administration clarified that Tejashwi Yadav’s name is indeed registered, but his polling station and serial number have been altered. Tejashwi responded by questioning the scale of the changes to other voters’ EPIC numbers, hinting at a possible conspiracy. JDU’s chief spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, accused Tejashwi of acting as a ‘political fraud’ for what they claim is misleading the public. The Election Commission (ECI) swiftly refuted these claims, labeling them as ‘false and factually incorrect.’ The ECI confirmed that Tejashwi’s name appears in the draft electoral roll. The matter has escalated the political tension in Bihar, especially with elections on the horizon. The state’s draft electoral roll was released on Friday, with a low number of the 7.23 crore applicants having submitted the required documents. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Roll is underway in Bihar. The Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar and 243 Electoral Officers will invite objections from voters regarding any discrepancies in the electoral roll, between August 1st to September 1st, 2025. The ECI has established the objectives of ensuring the inclusion of names of all eligible citizens in the electoral roll in a transparent manner. The last intensive revision for Bihar was conducted by the Commission in the year 2003. Voters can verify their details on the ECI website.
