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**Summary:**

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is facing criticism over its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar aimed at updating electoral rolls. A counter-affidavit filed by the ECI in the Supreme Court, in response to a petition challenging the SIR’s constitutionality, reveals several inconsistencies and questionable justifications for the process. The core issues revolve around the ECI’s demand for existing voters to provide fresh proof of citizenship, its rejection of documents like Aadhaar and ration cards, its reliance on a controversial citizenship amendment act, and lack of transparent data to support the need for the SIR. Critics argue that the ECI’s approach shifts the burden of proof onto voters, lacks a clear legal basis, and could lead to mass exclusion of eligible citizens, mirroring concerns raised by the Assam NRC process.

**News Article:**

**Headline: ECI’s Bihar Voter Roll Revision Sparks Controversy; Critics Allege Exclusionary Practices**

**Purnia, Bihar – July 24, 2025** – The Election Commission of India (ECI) is under fire for its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, with a Supreme Court challenge highlighting significant concerns over the process’s constitutionality and potential for voter disenfranchisement.

In a 789-page counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the ECI defends the SIR, arguing its statutory authority to conduct a “de novo” preparation of electoral rolls, requiring existing voters to submit fresh proof of citizenship. The bulk of the affidavit contains complaints received by ECI in 2024-2025, these contain complaints filled by BJP units from Delhi, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

Critics, including economist and activist Prasenjit Bose, argue the ECI’s actions lack a solid legal foundation and place an undue burden on citizens. Key points of contention include:

* **Shifting Burden of Proof:** The SIR process effectively forces existing voters, already registered by the ECI, to prove their citizenship again.
* **Document Rejections:** The ECI’s refusal to accept Aadhaar cards and ration cards as valid identification documents, despite seeking Aadhaar numbers on enumeration forms, has drawn scrutiny.
* **Reliance on Controversial Legislation:** The ECI’s implementation of citizenship criteria from the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2003, currently challenged in the Supreme Court, raises legal questions.
* **Lack of Transparency:** There is a lack of clear data on complaints regarding illegal migrants and the number of forms submitted with valid documents.

Concerns are also mounting about potential mass exclusions from the electoral rolls. Data released by the ECI indicates a significant number of electors have either not received enumeration forms or are untraceable at their registered addresses. Exclusion of migrated electors can have substantial impact if clustered within few constituencies and demographics.

The ECI maintains that the SIR is necessary to ensure accurate voter rolls and prevent fraud, but critics fear the exercise could replicate the issues of the Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise, leading to widespread anxiety and unnecessary exclusion. The process is likely to result in a fiasco bigger than the four-year-long NRC process in Assam between 2015 and 2019, which was eventually rejected by all those who demanded it after reportedly spending ₹1,600 crore of public money. The Supreme Court is expected to hear further arguments in the coming weeks.

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