The Question Is...Does EC's Special Intensive Revision of Bihar Voter Rolls Mirror Assam NRC?
Dear Reader,
The Election Commission of India is back in news. This time for its decision to prepare — from scratch — the voter rolls in Bihar as the state gears up for Assembly elections later this year.
The poll body is calling it a 'Special Intensive Revision' of voter rolls.
Over the last week, I’ve been closely tracking this important development.
On the surface, this sounds like a good-faith effort to clean up the rolls and ensure transparency before the Assembly elections.
But as I dug deeper, I realised this move has sparked major concerns, especially from Opposition parties like the RJD and Congress. They fear it could lead to the mass disenfranchisement of genuine voters, especially among the poor, minorities, and youth.
The question, then, was: Does SIR Mirror Assam NRC?
The EC claims it’s following the rules.
But here's the catch: there's no precedent to this exercise, the poll body is not following the regular timeline, and it’s using documents that many in Bihar’s rural and marginalised communities simply don’t have. Not to mention the huge resource advantage that the BJP-JDU combine has over other parties who do not have as many Booth Level Agents (BLAs) on the ground to monitor the process.
This isn’t just a bureaucratic update, it could shape who gets to vote in one of India’s most politically significant states.
I fact-checked five ECI claims on the issue which are under the scanner. Read the full report here.
Special Intensive Voter Roll Revision in Bihar: 5 ECI Claims Under the Scanner
Now, a small appeal: As an investigative reporter, the functioning of India's Election Commission has been a key focus area for me. Over the last year alone, I have worked on stories around voter roll manipulations, discrepancies in polling data, and suspicious additions and deletions of electors.
Delhi Election: Surge of 4 Lakh Voters in 4 Years, Then Another 4 Lakh in Just 7 Months
Maharashtra's 40 Lakh New Voters: Cong Alleges Fraud, EC Denies. Here's the Data
EVM Data Mismatch: 5,54,598 Votes 'Discarded' across 362 Lok Sabha Seats
These are stories which you won't see in the mainstream media because they require editorial independence, which often comes at a great cost. If you want our newsroom to be free from the pressure of those in power and the advertisers, become a member and support our work.
That’s all from me for now. Hopefully, I’ll be in your inbox again soon with another story. Meanwhile, you can also follow my work on X and Instagram.
Thanks,
HIMANSHI DAHIYA
Special Correspondent
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