The Election Commission of India (ECI) has started a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to verify the eligibility of each of 7,89,69,844 electors spread across 243 constituencies ahead of Bihar assembly elections.

“Article 326 specifies eligibility to become an elector. Only Indian citizens aged 18 years and above, and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible. Special Intensive Revision has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with full participation of all Political Parties,” the ECI said in a statement on Saturday.

The SIR is taking place after 22 years. “Proud moment for all Indians. Election Commission was, is and will always be with the voters,” Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar said.

“The Commission stated that printing as well as door-to-door distribution of new enumeration forms (EF) for all the existing 7,89,69,844 electors of Bihar has already started in each of the 243 assembly constituencies of Bihar. Online filling of the new enumeration forms has already been enabled and started successfully,” said the ECI.

Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of electoral roll on January 1, 2003, have to simply verify by filling the EF and submitting it, the Commission informed.

The ECI already has 77,895 booth level officers (BLOs) and is appointing nearly 20,603 more BLOs for new polling stations to complete the exercise on time.

More than 1 lakh volunteers will be assisting electors, particularly the old, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD), poor and other vulnerable groups during the SIR, the ECI stated.

All recognised national and State political parties, registered with the ECI, have also appointed 1,54,977 booth level agents (BLAs). They can still appoint more BLAs.

SMSs are also being sent to the 5,74,07,022 registered mobile numbers of Bihar electors, stated the ECI.

The Opposition parties are up in arms against the ECI move, with RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of influencing the Commission to strip Bihar of voting rights. He questioned how will the poor get documents sought by the ECI to prove the validity of their election ID card.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Election Commission to cancel Bihar’s entire voter list and create a new voter list within 25 days, using paper-based evidence of pre 1987. Fearing defeat, they are conspiring to strip Bihar and Biharis of voting rights,” Yadav posted on x.

On the pretext of SIR, he claimed people’s names would be removed from the ration, pension, reservation, scholarship and other welfare benefits.

Published on June 28, 2025