Patna, Bihar: A major political controversy has erupted in Bihar after opposition parties alleged large scale voter deletions in nearly 97 constituencies, accusing the Election Commission (EC) of conducting a “Faulty and discriminatory” revision of electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly polls.
The dispute centers on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists carried out before the election. Opposition leaders claim that the revision removed lakhs of genuine voters, drastically impacting results in dozens of seats where the winning margins were narrow.
Opposition Alleges Targeted Disenfranchisement
According to the Mahagathbandhan alliance, constituencies showing the highest number of voter deletions saw a strong correlation with NDA victories, suggesting that the process may have unfairly benefited the ruling coalition.
Leaders from the Congress and RJD said the deletions disproportionately affected:
- Poor and marginalized households
- Migrant workers
- Muslim and backward caste voters
- Families lacking multiple identity documents
They labelled the SIR process a “Wholesale purge” of legitimate voters rather than a routine clean up of electoral rolls.
Strict Documentation Under Scrutiny
One of the most contentious issues was the list of documents accepted for voter verification. Under the SIR guidelines, voters had to furnish One of just 11 specific documents to remain on the rolls.
Notably:
- Aadhaar cards
- Ration cards
were not accepted for the revision, despite being the most common forms of identification among low income groups.
Opposition parties argue that this requirement resulted in thousands of eligible voters being struck off the rolls simply because they lacked uncommon documents, especially in rural and semi urban belts.
Impact Across Nearly 97 – 128 Seats
Sources within the opposition claim that between 97 and 128 constituencies witnessed results where the margin of victory closely matched or was smaller than the number of removed voters.
They assert that this pattern raises questions about whether the deletions had a direct impact on the final outcome, particularly in closely contested seats.
Election Commission Faces Questions
Civil society groups and political observers have called for greater transparency from the EC, urging the release of district wise data on:
- Number of voters removed
- Documentation patterns
- Complaints received during SIR
- Appeals filed by citizens for reinstatement
Critics warn that the controversy could undermine public trust in the electoral process unless the Commission clarifies the methodology and reasoning behind the unusually strict revision.
NDA Rejects Allegations
The ruling NDA has dismissed the charges as “political theatrics,” insisting that the SIR process followed nationwide guidelines and was conducted to remove duplicates, people who had migrated, or those who had died.
NDA leaders argue that the opposition is attempting to “delegitimize a democratic mandate” after its electoral defeat.
Calls for Judicial Investigation
With political tensions rising, several opposition parties are considering approaching the Supreme Court to seek:
- A judicial inquiry
- An independent audit of voter deletions
- A stay or review of results in affected constituencies
Analysts believe the issue may escalate into a larger debate on electoral reforms, especially regarding voter list verification in states with high migration and low document penetration.
