Bihar SIR: ECI Refutes Claims of Muslim Disenfranchisement in Final Electoral Roll

In its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the poll body stated that no religion-based or community-based exclusion has taken place and that voter registration and deletion are carried out in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

The ECI clarified that the allegations of a targeted removal of Muslim voters are “completely unfounded,” adding that such claims have the potential to undermine public trust in the electoral process. It asserted that all eligible citizens, irrespective of religion or community, are entitled to be included in the electoral rolls once they fulfill the criteria prescribed under law.

The affidavit further emphasized that periodic revision of electoral rolls is a continuous process, which includes addition of new voters, correction of entries, and deletion of names in cases such as death, change of residence, or disqualification.

The ECI rejected petitions challenging the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, dismissing allegations of large-scale disenfranchisement and biased exclusion of certain communities. The petitions, filed by Yogendra Yadav and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) among others, had questioned the accuracy of the Final Electoral Roll published by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on September 30, 2025.

In its detailed reply, the ECI clarified that the claims made in the petitions were based on incomplete and selective data. According to the Commission, out of the 7.89 crore individuals listed in the draft electoral roll, 7.24 crore submitted pre-filled Enumeration Forms to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the house-to-house survey, while the remaining 65 lakh were either deceased, permanently shifted, or enrolled at multiple locations.

The petitions had claimed that approximately 81 lakh voters were missing and raised concerns over gender ratio and alleged disproportionate exclusion of Muslims. The ECI countered that these claims were based on flawed projections from outdated technical reports and selective data sets, which could not accurately reflect the current population. It highlighted that the SIR exercise, conducted after more than 22 years, involved extensive verification, direct engagement with electors, and multiple visits by BLOs to ensure inclusivity.

The ECI also informed that objections and claims post-draft roll had been considered, resulting in the deletion of 3.66 lakh individuals and inclusion of 21.53 lakh eligible electors, bringing the final count to 7.42 crore voters. Political parties were actively involved in the process, with hard and soft copies of the final roll provided to all recognized parties, most of whom expressed satisfaction with the SIR exercise.

The ECI emphasized that the petitions had not demonstrated any individual grievances or steps taken to assist excluded electors, and attempts to politicize the exercise were noted as mala fide and disruptive to the election process.

Previously, in another affidavit dated October 8, the ECI had informed the Court that it is fully ensuring that only Indian citizens are included in the revised electoral rolls of Bihar, directly addressing concerns raised in a plea alleging the inclusion of illegal Pakistani, Afghanistani, Rohingya, and Bangladeshi migrants. The response came through a detailed counter-affidavit filed by Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar, who had clarified that the Commission has consistently adhered to constitutional and statutory safeguards under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The affidavit was submitted in response to an interlocutory application in W.P.(C) No. 640/2025.