In a startling development during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, several individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar were found possessing Aadhaar cards, domicile certificates, and ration cards, sources revealed on Saturday.
These findings were made during door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the state, raising serious questions ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.
According to Election Commission of India (ECI) sources, a detailed verification process will be conducted from August 1 to August 30, and if it is confirmed that the individuals are ineligible, their names will not be included in the final voter list, which is to be published on September 30, 2025.
Meanwhile, the ECI reported significant progress in the SIR exercise. As of Saturday evening, 80.11% of Bihar’s electors have submitted their Enumeration Forms (EFs). The Commission aims to complete the form collection well ahead of the July 25 deadline.
The massive field operation involves:
- 77,895 regular BLOs
- 20,603 newly appointed BLOs
- 38 District Election Officers (DEOs)
- 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs)
- 963 Assistant EROs (AEROs)
- 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from political parties
- Over 4 lakh volunteers assisting senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups
The ECI confirmed that the printing of EFs is complete, and distribution is nearly done. As of 6 PM on July 13, over 6.32 crore forms had been collected, indicating high participation.
Furthermore, 4.66 crore forms have already been digitised and uploaded on ECINet, the Election Commission’s newly integrated digital platform replacing 40 earlier apps.
To be included in the draft electoral rolls set to be published on August 1, electors must submit their EFs along with eligibility documents. If more time is needed, supporting documents can be submitted until August 30, the final date for filing claims and objections. Volunteers are also available to assist electors through this process.
