NAPM has also urged the Supreme Court to penalise ECI officials, probe electoral fraud, and ensure the protection of voting rights.
Published Sep 07, 2025 | 7:06 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 07, 2025 | 7:06 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: NAPM warns that the short timeframe and lack of transparency could strip voting rights from millions, especially the poor, based on caste, religion, and gender. The recent state elections in Maharashtra and Karnataka have raised red flags, with anomalous voter increases and allegations of 1,00,000 bogus voters, respectively, met with ECI hostility rather than accountability.
The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has vociferously condemned the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar, labeling it an “ill-conceived, undemocratic, and unconstitutional” move that threatens the universal suffrage.
With Bihar Assembly elections looming in less than 100 days, ECI’s decision to delete 65 lakh voters from the 7.9 crore electoral roll since June 25 has sparked widespread credibility concerns.
The revision, conducted in a matter of just 30 days, saw the ECI initially refusing to disclose the names and reasons for deletions, prompting Supreme Court intervention. Later, the apex court ordered the poll watchdog to publish the list and accept Aadhaar card and Voter IDs for appeals, stressing on inclusion over exclusion.
Following the order, the ECI reported receiving documents from 98 percent of affected electors, with verification set to conclude by September 25.
However, ground reports and investigations have shown gross irregularities, including mass uploads of forms without voter consent and massive exclusion of women and marginalised groups.
NAPM alleges the SIR, which requires voters not on the 2003 roll (especially those aged between 18-40) to prove eligibility with one of eleven documents — possessed by only 50 percent of the targeted population — is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise millions.
The 2003 cutoff, lacking credible basis as per RTI responses and former ECI officials, has further fueled accusations of arbitrariness.
NAPM argued that the CEC’s defensive stance resembles the representatives of the ruling party, which has tarnished the ECI’s reputation.
NAPM warns that the short timeframe and lack of transparency could strip voting rights from millions, especially the poor, based on caste, religion, and gender.
In a broader context, the move is seen as part of a BJP-led strategy to suppress votes and lay groundwork for a National Register of Citizens (NRC), echoing the halted 2019 CAA-NRC efforts.
The recent state elections in Maharashtra and Karnataka have raised red flags, with anomalous voter increases and allegations of 1,00,000 bogus voters, respectively, met with ECI hostility rather than accountability.
NAPM has demanded the ECI to immediately suspend SIR, conduct transparent voter registration, and refrain from replicating it elsewhere.
It also urges the Supreme Court to penalise ECI officials, probe electoral fraud, and ensure the protection of voting rights. Grassroots campaigns, including a 21 July public hearing in Patna, have exposed the process’s flaws, framing Bihar’s SIR as a test case for India’s democracy.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
