Election Commission Initiates SIR Process in Bihar for Voter List Accuracy. The Commission has asked citizens five key questions to make the list transparent by removing names of deceased, duplicates, and infiltrators.
Bihar SIR: Before the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission has initiated direct communication with citizens across the country to make the voter list pure and transparent. Under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the Commission has posed five important questions aimed at updating the voter list and removing all the discrepancies present in it. The Commission says that this process can only be successful if citizens themselves participate in it and cooperate in removing ineligible names and adding eligible names to the voter list.
Importance of SIR Process
The objective of the SIR process is to make the voter list completely accurate and up-to-date so that the upcoming assembly elections are fair and transparent. The Election Commission says that this includes removing the names of deceased persons, consolidating duplicate names in one place, removing the names of people who have permanently moved out, and foreigners. In Bihar, this process started on June 24, 2025, and is now in its final stages. The Commission has also stated that the draft voter list published on August 1, 2025, includes a total of 7.24 crore voters, while approximately 65 lakh names have been removed. These include the names of 22 lakh deceased voters, 7 lakh duplicate names, and the names of 36 lakh people who have permanently moved out of Bihar or whose whereabouts could not be traced.
Election Commission's Five Major Questions
The Election Commission has asked five important questions to the citizens. Should there be an intensive investigation of the voter list? Should the names of deceased persons be removed? Should the names of people who are registered in more than one place be limited to only one place? Should the names of those who have permanently moved to another place be removed or not? And most importantly, should the names of foreigners be removed from the voter list?
The Commission has said that if citizens answer 'yes' to these questions, then they should come forward to make this process successful, because the purity of the voter list is the most important step for strengthening democracy.
Participation of Citizens - Political Parties
The Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court that so far, lakhs of amendment applications have been received from the general public and voters. People are actively applying to remove the names of deceased persons, correct duplicate names, and add new voters. But political parties have lagged far behind in this matter. The 12 political parties have 1.61 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLA), but so far they have registered only 10 objections. The Commission says that this is a matter of concern for democracy because political parties should also have participated responsibly in this process.
Confidence Expressed on Impartiality
The Election Commission has also assured the Supreme Court that the name of any eligible voter will not be removed from the list without prior notice and hearing. The entire process is transparent and impartial, in which Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and a team of more than one and a half lakh Booth Level Agents are actively working. The Commission has also clarified that this step has not been taken for any political or personal purpose, but to strengthen democracy so that no questions can be raised on the elections.
Last Chance for Citizens
The Commission has appealed to citizens to actively participate in this process and cooperate in correcting the voter list. Only five days are now left for the last date for applying for removal and addition of names under SIR in Bihar. In such a situation, if the name of someone in your family needs to be added, removed, or any kind of discrepancy needs to be corrected, then this is the right time. Remember, an accurate voter list guarantees fair elections and every citizen's contribution is important in this.
