Foe hits the streets in Bihar over revision of electoral roll

Last Updated Jul - 10 - 2025, 03:18 PM | Source : Fela News

Opposition INDIA bloc leaders, led by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, marched in Patna calling the Electoral Commission’s special intensive revision a “mockery

The protest increased rapidly after the Election Commission of India started a special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's voter list on 24 June. On July 9, prominent leaders of the India alliance, including Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, led the protests in Patna, accusing the Election Commission of making “mockery of democracy” and trying to deprive voters of their rights. Furious demonstrators burned tires, blocked roads, and enforced a state‑wide bandh, claiming the roll‑revision is a political tool to repeat alleged BJP‑favouring tactics seen in Maharashtra.

The EC’s campaign has involved distributing enumeration forms to Bihar's 78.9 million voters, with 46.95 percent forms returned in two weeks, backed by 20,603 additional BLOs and four lakh volunteers. However, opposition parties including Congress, RJD, CPI‑ML, and CPI denounce the move as unconstitutional and perilous, claiming many vulnerable residents lack required documentation.

Legal challenges have been filed by Congress, TMC, ADR, Mahua Moitra, and others, which the Supreme Court intends to hear on July 10. Meanwhile, protest leaders warn the effort could create a “second‑class” of citizens and steal “not just people’s right to vote but their entire future”.

The EC maintains the SIR aligns with Article 326 of the Constitution and First Revision since 2003, intended to streamline rolls amid demographic shifts. Political factions have also engaged positively deploying over 56,000 booth‑level agents to monitor transparency though they continue public protests.

As public and legal battles unfold, Bihar's citizens face uncertainty over their voting status. The Supreme Court’s verdict on July 10 could shape whether this SIR process proceeds, stalls, or results in mass exclusions holding significant implications for democracy in the poll‑bound state.