Bihar Electoral Rolls: No Objections Filed by Political Parties

The Election Commission of India has revealed that no political parties, including the RJD-led opposition, have filed objections against the draft electoral rolls for Bihar. This marks a significant shift from previous accusations of manipulation against the ECI. Over 10,000 individual objections have been submitted, alongside more than 50,000 applications for new voter IDs from newly eligible voters. The ECI's report comes amid ongoing political tensions in Bihar as the state prepares for elections. With a month-long window for complaints, the commission aims to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 11, 2025, 13:19 IST

Election Commission Updates on Bihar Electoral Rolls

New Delhi, Aug 11: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Monday that no political parties, including the RJD-led opposition, have raised any objections or complaints regarding the draft electoral rolls released for Bihar on August 1.

Additionally, the ECI reported that over 10,000 individual voters have directly submitted their objections to the commission, while more than 50,000 new voters, who have recently turned 18, have applied for new voter IDs to exercise their voting rights.

This information was shared in the ECI's routine bulletin concerning the contentious SIR initiative, which has become a significant political issue in Bihar ahead of the elections and has disrupted Parliamentary proceedings since the Monsoon Session began on July 21.

This development is noteworthy as it indicates a lack of opposition to the ECI's SIR initiative following the release of the draft rolls, contrasting with previous instances where various opposition parties accused the commission of manipulating the electoral process to favor the ruling party.

The ECI also mentioned that claims and objections will be addressed by the relevant Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) after a seven-day period from the verification of eligibility documents.

According to SIR regulations, no names can be removed from the draft list published on August 1 without a formal order from the ERO/AERO, following an inquiry and providing a fair opportunity for review.

The draft electoral rolls were published on August 1, with a one-month period allocated for individuals and parties to submit complaints regarding their inclusion or exclusion from the draft list.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has deployed 47,506 booth-level agents (BLAs), while the Congress has 17,549, and the Left has over 2,000, totaling more than 67,000 agents.

The ECI completed the enumeration phase of the SIR from June 24 to July 25, during which over 7.24 crore electors out of a total of 7.89 crore submitted their enumeration forms.