Opposition parties accuse Election Commission of confusing voters, warn of disenfranchisement ahead of crucial polls
The INDIA bloc wants the Election Commission of India to pump the brakes. With Bihar heading into a high-stakes election season, leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, Left parties, and the Vikassheel Insaan Party on Monday lashed out at the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral rolls. They’re not mincing words: halt it now, or risk derailing public trust.
At a press meet in Patna, Tejashwi Yadav—former deputy CM and now the face of the state opposition—warned that the EC’s inconsistent rules are confusing voters and sowing unnecessary doubts. Worse, he claimed, the process risks excluding the most marginalized people from participating in the democratic process.
Confusion Reigns as Election Commission Keeps Tweaking the Rules
The complaint is straightforward: the Election Commission keeps changing the playbook. One day, Aadhaar and ration cards are valid ID proof for voter registration. The next day, they’re not.
Yadav didn’t hold back. “Instead of clarifying things, they’re issuing new guidelines every day,” he said, frustration clear in his tone. “People are being misled. We raised questions on July 5, but the Chief Electoral Officer hasn’t even acknowledged them.”
This lack of communication, leaders said, has left ground-level officials confused and voters unsure of what documents to provide—especially poor and rural citizens, many of whom struggle with access to formal paperwork.
The Problem with the June 24 Notification
According to the INDIA bloc, things got murkier after June 24.
In a fresh notification, the Election Commission released a list of 11 documents required for new voter inclusion via Form-6. Strikingly, many commonly used documents like Aadhaar, MGNREGS, and ration cards were left off.
That’s a big problem for the millions in Bihar who rely on those very documents for government benefits.
One senior Congress leader put it bluntly in a side conversation: “This isn’t just bureaucratic confusion. This is exclusion by design.”
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New Form-6 documents required include passport, driving license, PAN card, and other hard-to-obtain papers
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Aadhaar, ration card, and MGNREGS card are widely held but not recognized in the new order
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Poor and backward caste voters most at risk of exclusion from the rolls
A Court Hearing Looms as Political Pressure Mounts
This isn’t just political noise. The matter is headed to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear petitions on July 10 challenging the legality and timing of the SIR in Bihar.
With polling expected in a few months and the voter list revision already underway, the court’s verdict could dramatically impact the state’s electoral dynamics.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc continues to call foul. “This is not about winning or losing,” said a CPI(M) leader at the presser. “This is about fairness and the right to vote. You can’t change the rules mid-game.”
And there’s history behind this suspicion. Bihar’s caste-driven politics has long wrestled with questions of voter manipulation, gerrymandering, and last-minute revisions that tend to benefit those already in power.
What the INDIA Bloc Actually Wants
The INDIA bloc’s demand is simple on paper but politically explosive: pause the SIR until after the elections.
Let the vote happen with the existing rolls, they argue. Once a new government is in place, the EC can carry out a full and transparent revision—without the pressure of an ongoing political contest.
This proposal, according to the bloc’s internal memo shared with journalists, would:
| Demand | Justification |
|---|---|
| Stop the SIR immediately | Avoid confusion and voter disenfranchisement |
| Resume the revision post-polls | Conduct a full and transparent revision process |
| Recognize common documents | Reinstate Aadhaar, MGNREGS, and ration card for ID |
| Clear communication by EC | Eliminate ambiguity, ensure instructions are stable |
That’s a wishlist the EC hasn’t responded to—at least, not publicly.
Tejashwi’s Strategic Bet: Make This an Election Issue
For Tejashwi Yadav, this is not just about voter ID documents.
This is a platform. A narrative. A chance to rally Bihar’s vast population of youth, Dalits, and backward castes—many of whom feel left behind by the system.
By framing the electoral roll revision as a tool of exclusion, Yadav is betting that voters will see the INDIA bloc as protectors of democracy rather than just another set of power-seekers.
It’s also a sharp contrast to the BJP, which has stayed silent on the issue so far.
One RJD leader hinted at this strategy: “The more they stay quiet, the more it looks like they’re okay with this mess. And voters are watching.”
