CPI(ML), RJD file 82 objections against draft electoral rolls in Bihar

The Election Commission of India on Thursday (August 28, 2025) said it has received 82 claims and objections from Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of political parties in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar as against 1,95,802 from individual voters.

Out of these 82 complaints, 79 have been filed by CPI(ML) and three by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), both Opposition parties.

Challenges to additions and deletion of names in the draft electoral rolls, which were published on August 1, can be filed till September 1.

Last week, the Supreme Court, while asking political parties to assist the people who have been excluded from the draft electoral rolls, had expressed surprise that though there were over 1.60 lakh BLAs, only two objections had been filed, according to the poll body.

On August 22, the top court, while hearing challenges against the SIR, had observed, “We are surprised at inaction of political parties. After appointing BLAs, what are they doing... Why distance between political workers and the local people?”

The court though had also noted the submission of the political parties that BLAs were not being allowed to submit their objections.

Out of the total 1.6 lakh BLAs, the RJD has 47,506 BLAs, CPI(ML) 1,496 agents, the BJP 53,338 and the Congress 17,549 among others.

The poll body and the political parties have been engaged in a tug-of-war over complaints filed. While the political parties had claimed that they had filed complaints and got those countersigned as receipts, the EC had said, in press statements till August 21, that the BLAs had filed no claims and objections.

The poll panel’s statement on August 18, for the first time, mentioned in a footnote that the BLAs should file claims and objections in the requisite Form 6 and Form 7 along with prescribed declaration, and that generic complaints, without the prescribed forms or declaration, would not be counted.

While 7.24 crore voters made it into the draft electoral rolls, the EC had deleted 65 lakh names from the July 2025 voter list citing deaths, migration and duplicate entries among other reasons. The figures for claims and objections filed include those from among the deleted list.