EC eases rules for Bihar poll update; Aadhaar, PAN not among 11 accepted documents

A controversy has emerged in poll-bound Bihar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is being conducted after 22 years. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has stated that the revision is legally mandated under the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act. However, opposition parties have raised concerns, alleging that the process may lead to the deletion of large numbers of genuine voters, particularly migrants and economically disadvantaged groups.

As part of the revision process, voters are being asked to submit self-attested documents for themselves and their parents if their names are to be included or verified. However, the EC clarified that no documents will be required for individuals whose names appeared in the electoral roll dated January 1, 2003, or for those born to such electors. The EC has uploaded the 2003 Bihar electoral rolls online to facilitate this process and ease access for voters and Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

Following objections raised by several political parties, the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer issued a public advertisement on July 6 stating that while providing the required documents would help the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) process the application faster, voters unable to do so could still be verified through local investigation or other documentary evidence. The EC appealed to voters to fill out the enumeration form and submit it to the BLO, even if they do not have the required documents or photo.

The documents currently accepted for verification include: government-issued identity cards to employees or pensioners, certificates issued before July 1, 1987 by public authorities, birth certificate, passport, matriculation certificate, permanent residence certificate, forest rights certificate, caste certificate, National Register of Citizens (where available), family register, and land or house allotment certificate. Common documents such as Aadhaar card, PAN card, MGNREGA card, voter ID, and driving licence are not accepted under the SIR process.

As of July 5, a total of 1,12,01,674 enumeration forms have been collected, representing 14.18% of Bihar’s potential voters. Among these, 23,90,329 forms have been uploaded, with 23,14,602 submitted through BLOs and 75,789 submitted online by general voters. A delegation of INDIA bloc leaders met the Bihar CEO on July 4 and requested that Aadhaar, ration cards, and MGNREGA cards be accepted as valid documents. The EC reiterated that the process is guided by Article 326 of the Constitution and aims to include all eligible Indian citizens who are ordinarily residents of their constituencies.