Bihar is expecting its State Legislative Elections by November 2025 and to politically energize up the environment, the Election Commission has introduced Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the State. The Commission and the supporters of this Revision argue that it'll delete the names of those who are ineligible to cast their votes and prevent duplication and fraud in the electoral rolls while the critics, argue that the Revision is politically motivated and it may delete the names of eligible voters who come from the marginalised communities (Dalits, tribals and migrant communities). While this process is designed to strengthen the electoral process but it is raising more questions than answer — from uninformed voters to unexplained deletion.

The Legal Mandate vs. the Ground Reality

The Commission draws the power of Revision form Article 324 of the Constitution of India read with Section 21 of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950. The afore-mentioned provision provides that the Commission at any time before each general election of the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State can Revise the electoral roll in full or in part of a constituency. Unlike, regular summary revision, this Revision is a more thorough and detailed one wherein the Booth Level Officer (BLO) goes door-to-door to verify the voters and prepare an error-free electoral roll. However, the timeline of this revision raises serious concern about exclusion of eligible voters on the whims and fancies of the Commission. Within a period 30 days, the voters have to submit the proof of their eligibility from the date of release of draft roll. Not just this, the Commission also floated a list of 11 acceptable documents to support their eligibility, seeing the wide illiteracy rate and lack of awareness among the people of the State of Bihar, the Commission focused on producing Matriculation, Birth Certificates and other governmental issued IDs as so-called official documents. Meanwhile, The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India intervened into this and asked the Commission to consider documents like Aadhar Card and Ration Card to avoid exclusion of potential eligible voters from the electoral roll.

From voter verification to citizenship doubt?

Despite a noble intent, the situation on ground paints a mixed picture, wherein some are lauding this move while others are saying that the Revision comes under the guise of NRC. The order dated 24.06.2025 issued by the Commission shifts the onus of being voters from the State to Citizen just like the NRC had. Even citizens who have consistently voted in previous elections are being subjected to prove their eligibility at the whim of the Commission. While unawareness is also at its peak in the State, the Commission had also slapped a deadline to prove their eligibility failing which they will be automatically left out of the electoral rolls. Even citizens who have consistently voted in earlier elections are being subjected to arbitrary demands. For instance, I was recently contacted by my local BLO, who asked me to submit my matriculation certificate within just 3–4 days failing which, I was warned, my name may be deleted from the electoral roll. This demand was made despite the Supreme Court's express caution against such rigid implementation of the voter verification process.

Undermining the Right to Vote

While the Election Commission claims that the Revision is merely a process to verify voter eligibility, its execution on the ground suggests something more troubling. In practice, the Commission appears to be casting doubt not just on eligibility, but on the very nationality of citizens — effectively denying them their fundamental right to vote. This approach contradicts the core foundation of Indian democracy, which survives on the principle of universal adult franchise. Every Indian citizen aged 18 and above has a constitutional right to vote, irrespective of gender, caste, class, education, or economic status. Yet, the way this revision is being carried out with arbitrary document demands, short deadlines, and coercive threats — is gradually eroding that principle. Instead of strengthening democracy, the process risks undermining it by making the right to vote contingent upon bureaucratic discretion rather than constitutional entitlement. The goal of this should be inclusion first rather than exclusion first. Every possible effort should be made to include as many eligible voters to the list, not to just disqualify them on certain technicalities. When the BLO is issuing threats instead of guidance and deadlines replacing dialogues, the revision becomes mere a gatekeeping exercise and at the same time runs contrary to the principles of a democratic state.

A Democratic Duty, not a Bureaucratic Favor

Special Intensive Revision is not just a bureaucratic process but it is a democratic exercise wherein every citizen has a right to participate in the governance of the state. While this exercise carries a noble intent but it must not come at the cost of harassing the citizens. Ensuring every citizen remains on the electoral roll is not a courtesy by the Commission but fulfilling its imposed constitutional obligations. Now, lastly, I want to mention that Bihar SIR can either be a model or case study of exclusion, the choice lies with the Commission.