ECI Informs SC: Bihar Poll Claims, Objections Allowed Beyond September 1 Deadline

Quick Summary

• Election Commission Update: Between August 22-30, 2025, the ECI received 22,723 claims for inclusion in Bihar’s draft electoral roll, while objections for deletion overwhelmed requests by nearly six times at 1,34,738.
• Judicial direction: Supreme Court enabled voters to use Aadhaar as a standalone document during this period. Despite expectations of increased inclusions from excluded voters post-August 22, inclusions remained significantly lower than deletions.
• Reasons for Deletions: Deaths and duplications were cited as key reasons. Approximately 65 lakh electors were excluded from the preliminary roll due to death or permanent shifting.
• Current Voter Base: Bihar’s draft voter base fell from 7.89 crore (pre-August) to 7.24 crore following exclusions.
• Claims Deadline Versatility: While September 1 was listed as a deadline for claims and objections submission, ECI clarified that applications can still be filed until final nominations close.
• Role of Political Parties: Among political parties in Bihar only RJD and CPI(M-L) actively facilitated voter inclusion processes; no assistance was provided by others despite having trained booth-level agents statewide.
• Forms submitted Statistics:

– From political parties: Total submissions -128; Inclusion forms -25; deletion forms -103.
– From individual voters: Inclusion forms -33,326; Deletion forms -2,07,565.

Indian opinion Analysis

The notable disparity between inclusion requests and deletion demands in Bihar’s draft electoral roll revisions highlights deep structural concerns within India’s electoral frameworks. The recognition of Aadhaar as an eligible document aimed to streamline processes but seems not to have met expectations regarding facilitating inclusivity.From approximately 65 lakh excluded names, the subdued participation rate among both individuals and political parties sparks questions about efficacy in mobilizing disenfranchised communities or addressing exclusion errors-a concern raised robustly by petitioners like RJD.Moreover, it shows a potential trust gap between citizens and institutional mechanisms that needs broader systemic redress beyond legal permissions or court interventions-complexities Justice Kant acknowledged when directing para legal volunteers’ involvement.

The preliminary numbers around exclusions-rooted largely in deaths/duplications-further illustrate the intricate challenges faced every election cycle involving population dynamics versus administrative verifications under databases constantly evolving societal conditions specific regional-transfers etc logistical-debug context importantly fairness-validation eventually deserving Parliament across-sectional recommendations ọ