More than 33,000 people apply for re-inclusion in Bihar electoral rolls

With just a day left for filing claims and objections in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Sunday (August 31, 2025) that 33,326 people have applied for re-inclusion in the voter list.

The draft electoral rolls published on August 1 included 7.24 crore people, 65 lakh fewer names from the voter list published before the SIR exercise began.

In an official statement, the ECI said that 33,326 people have filed claims for re-inclusion, while 15,32,438 applications have been received from new electors who have recently turned 18 years old and become eligible to vote. The poll body said that 2,07,565 objections have been filed, challenging names included in the draft electoral rolls.

The final electoral rolls will be published on September 30, 2025.

On Monday (September 1, 2025), the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear pleas filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal and others, seeking an extension of the deadline to file claims and objections to the draft list.

RTI queries unanswered

Meanwhile, in response to queries under the Right to Information Act, the poll body refused to provide details on the basis of its decision to conduct an SIR exercise, or to provide a copy of the order for the last intensive revision of electoral rolls in 2003.

Transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj had filed two separate RTIs with the Election Commission; in both its responses, the ECI simply shared the link to its 2025 SIR order.

In the first RTI, the activist had asked for a copy of any independent appraisal or study or analysis undertaken based on which the ECI decided to initiate an SIR across the country in 2025. She also sought a copy of all the files related to the SIR exercise, including notings, correspondence and records which are part of the files.

In its response, the ECI asked Ms. Bhardwaj to refer to the ECI’s guideline dated June 24, which it said is “self-explanatory and available” on its website, providing the link. “Further, no any (sic) information is available in the Commission,” it said.

In the second RTI application, Ms. Bhardwaj sought a copy of the order or the notification through which an Intensive Revision of electoral rolls was carried out for Bihar in 2003. She also sought a copy of the guidelines issued for that Intensive Revision in 2003 which specify the manner and procedure of revisions, the prescribed forms and list of documents required to be furnished, among others.

The ECI did not provide the details sought under RTI, and again provided a link to the June 24 order.