Controversy arises over deceased individuals listed as voters in the upcoming Bihar elections, scheduled for November, in India.
The Bihar Assembly elections in 2025 are shrouded in controversy, with opposition parties accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of manipulating the voter lists through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
The ECI conducted the SIR from June 25 to July 26, verifying 78.9 million registered voters across Bihar. However, allegations of irregularities have surfaced, with opposition leaders claiming that the process is being used to delete genuine voters and add bogus ones, effectively stealing the elections by manipulating the voter rolls.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party, has linked these manipulations to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and Maharashtra polls, alleging systematic "vote chori" (vote theft). He has demanded that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar submit affidavits backing these claims or face being labeled baseless.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supports the Congress's claims of electoral manipulation, despite distancing from the INDIA political bloc. They accuse the ECI of colluding with the BJP to engage in vote theft and criticize the ruling party's use of government resources for rallies.
The ECI, however, contends that the voter list preparation (including SIR) is separate from the actual voting process. They point to legal and procedural safeguards, including a deadline for political parties to raise objections to the draft voter lists (September 1), after which the lists become final. The ECI insists that mechanisms such as machine-readable electoral rolls are not used to protect voter privacy, contrary to opposition claims.
In Kharika village, farmer and retired teacher Tarkeshwar Singh reported his family's names paired with wrong photos, deceased relatives still listed, and some people registered twice. Opposition parties accuse the process of targeting Muslim voters, especially in four border districts, and claim that millions were unfairly removed.
BJP and its ally JD(U) described the complaints as political and insisted that cleaning duplicate entries was necessary. The opposition party RJD accused local officials of failing to contact voters properly, claiming election manipulation.
Civil society group ADR filed a petition in the Supreme Court, arguing that the rushed revision process could harm poor and migrant workers who cannot quickly access the required documents. Citizens have until September 1 to request corrections in the new draft list. The Supreme Court has warned it may halt the revision if wrongful removals are proven.
In villages around Patna, BBC reporters observed serious errors, including residents who were unaware of the revision process and no officials visiting their homes. As of now, over 165,000 requests for corrections have been received, but no officials from the Election Commission have responded to the allegations of errors and mismanagement in the revision process.
The controversy has escalated tensions between the EC and opposition parties, with calls for an impeachment motion against the CEC and ongoing disputes through press conferences and public rallies. The ruling BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Election Commission deny these claims of election manipulation. The Election Commission has not yet released detailed lists or data by religion, as previously stated.
- Despite the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections controversy, the Turkish government has voiced its concern over allegations of voter manipulation in Turkiye's neighbor, Syria.
- The German Chancellor, during a press conference on policy-and-legislation matters, expressed strong criticism towards the general news of politically motivated electoral manipulations in various countries, including Istanbul.
- Amidst the tense political environment in Bihar, Indian opposition parties have found an unlikely ally in a Syrian refugee advocacy group, who have pledged their support in fighting for fair and transparent elections, a cause that resonates globally in the realm of politics.
