AIMIM raises concerns over Election Commission’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi raised concerns about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, even as he alleged that a National Register of Citizens exercise through the backdoor was underway in that State in the run up to its Assembly elections.

Mr. Owaisi who had fielded his party’s candidates in the previous election urged in a representation to the Election Commission of India, to clarify concerns over the SIR of electoral rolls, warning it could have a “deleterious effect” and disenfranchise voters ahead of the elections to the Bihar Assembly.

The representation dated June 28 states that Bihar has over 7.72 crore electors. A Special Summary Revision of electors was done between October 29, 2024, and January 6, 2025, he reiterated, in which issues of rapid urbanisation, migration, lack of reporting of deaths, inclusion of eligible voters, and the names of foreign illegal immigrants in electoral rolls were already covered. He sought to know the necessity of the SIR exercise announced on June 24.

Mr. Owaisi raised concerns that the new verification rules that demand voters submit documents proving not only their own birth details but also, depending on their birth year, those of one or both parents.

He further objected to the short timelines for training officials, rushed plans for creating new polling stations, which he said was a thorough and extensive exercise, and broad discretionary powers given to officers such as the ERO and AERO such as reporting foreign nationals to the competent authority. He said this was a “wide and unsupervised” power which could be misused to unfairly question voter eligibility, and could also lead to loss of livelihood.

Citing the Supreme Court’s 1995 ruling in Lal Babu Hussein, Mr. Owaisi stressed that no voter already on the rolls can be removed without due process and an opportunity to submit any relevant evidence.

He demanded a detailed explanation from the ECI and an in-person hearing for Opposition parties to raise their concerns.