Corrections are available until 1 September, and more than 165,000 applications have already been made. Officials insist the revision was necessary – the last was in 2003 – but opposition parties and election watchdogs argue that it was rushed, resulting in false photographs, duplicate names or even the deceased creeping onto rolls. Opponents say this could make it hard for many, especially in border districts with sizeable Muslim communities, to get registered. The Commission has refuted the allegations and has not given out the list of names removed or their religious breakdown.
Local Complaints and Legal Challenges
Irregularities were reported by voters from some villages. In Danara, where many Mahadalits live, residents said they either had no idea about the revision or were not sure if officials had visited. Retired teacher Tarkeshwar Singh found wrong photos, duplicate entries and the name of his deceased cousin still on the list in Kharika. The draft rolls had the wrong photographs of some voters, even though they said they paid for new photographs.
The elections watchdog ADR has moved the Supreme Court against the process, contending it will strike out vast numbers of real voters and change the onus of proof to individuals, who might need papers in a hurry that destitute or migrant workers would struggle to get firsthand. The Court has hinted that it might separate the exercise from the election calendar to ensure fuller scrutiny.
Reaction from the Political Class & Position of the Commission
In the bargain, political parties in Bihar stand divided. The opposition, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has accused the election commission of resorting to "selective deletion of voters, especially in Muslim-dominated areas". The exercise is backed by the ruling Janata Dal (United) coalition party as well as its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which says it seeks to identify and remove bogus names, including those of illegal immigrants. Both sides deny claims of religious targeting.
The Election Commission says it is a routine, procedural revision to weed out only those who are not supposed to be there from the voter list. The correction window is still open, and the final voters' list is paramount in Bihar's crucial November election.
