Addressing the media, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kumar stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has already decided to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls throughout the country. The commission had earlier announced in its June 24 order that SIR would be carried out nationwide.
Commenting specifically on the Bihar election process, CEC Kumar highlighted the active participation of electors in the purification of voter lists. He mentioned that the final voter list, prepared after the SIR, has been shared with all political parties. He further explained that following the date of nomination filing, the voter list to be released will be considered final.
“The electors of Bihar fully participated in the purification of the voter list in the state,” he added.
Earlier, on October 5, CEC Kumar had defended the commission’s decision to conduct SIR before the elections, dismissing suggestions to delay it until after the polls as unjustified. He clarified that SIR is both legal and mandated under the Representation of the People Act.
“Regarding the decision to conduct the Special Intensive Revision before the elections, if you go by the Representation of the People Act, it is legal for the Election Commission to conduct the revision before every election and is required to do so under the law,” Kumar said at a press conference in Patna. “For someone to say that the revision should be conducted after the elections is unjustified.”
Following the completion of the SIR, the Election Commission published the final electoral roll for Bihar. The total number of electors now stands at 7.42 crore, down from 7.89 crore as of June 24.
According to an EC press release, 65 lakh voters were removed from the draft list, while 21.53 lakh eligible electors were added, bringing the final total to 7.42 crore. In Patna alone, 1.63 lakh electors were added across 14 assembly constituencies.
In the upcoming Bihar elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to face a strong challenge from the opposition INDIA bloc. This alliance includes Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
The elections will also mark the entry of a new contender, Prashant Kishor, and his party Jan Suraaj into the political fray.
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/bihar-election-2025-special-intensive-revision-exercise-to-be-held-nationwide-says-election-commission-23597485
