On 30th August, the ECI disclosed the number of applications of claims and objections filed by various political parties between 1st and 30th August, in relation to the draft roll prepared by the commission after revising electoral data during the SIR. The draft roll was published by the commission on 1st August, as the SIR has entered its concluding phase. The period for raising claims and objections ends on 1st September. The latest figures published by the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the Specific Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar have laid bare the oppositionโs false โVote Choriโ propaganda.
Please Read #Bihar #SIR DAILY BULLETIN: 1st Aug(3 PM) till 30 Aug (10 AM)at:https://t.co/bbgfoYqL56
Other Ref. Links:
Link 1: https://t.co/qqHHpqJp3F
Link 2: https://t.co/6GlXD5AP4r
Link 3: https://t.co/s2OXIwmQqP
Link 4: https://t.co/QgxL3EKrhF
Link 5: https://t.co/9YFdna19q0 pic.twitter.com/I4DbiHZn0rโ Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 30, 2025
Interestingly, the numbers do not match the zeal displayed by the opposition in running a propaganda of โvote choriโ against the Election Commission (EC) and accusing it of rigging the electoral roll in the poll-bound state of Bihar. The entire opposition, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has been calling the SIR in Bihar a conspiracy of the BJP and the ECI to disenfranchise โlakhsโ of voters. However, the total applications raising objections regarding the draft roll published by the ECI after revising the electoral data are only 128. Notably, out of these 128 applications, 118 are filed by the CPI(ML)(L), including only 15 applications for the inclusion of eligible voters and the remaining 103 for the exclusion of ineligible voters. The rest of the applications, that is, 10, are filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the inclusion of eligible voters.
Rahul Gandhiโs party did not raise a single objection regarding the draft roll
The Congress Party did not file even a single application raising any objections regarding the draft roll prepared during the SIR. Notably, Congress has been spearheading the mud-slinging campaign against the Election Commission. The draft roll was shared by the ECI with all 12 political parties recognised in Bihar. And yet, only two parties filed applications raising objections regarding the draft roll.
Besides, a total of 2,27,636 claims and objections received by the commission directly through voters, only 29,872 were regarding the addition of eligible voters; the remaining 1,97,764 were for the exclusion of ineligible voters. A total of 7.24 crore voters are included in the draft rolls by the election body after undertaking a humongous task of revising the voter list in Bihar under the SIR, which commenced on 24th June 2025.
Opposition ran a baseless and malicious campaign against the EC
Ever since the beginning of the SIR, which is a routine exercise undertaken by the Election Commission to update the voter list, the INDI Alliance parties have been running a malicious campaign against the commission, which is merely fulfilling its constitutional mandate. The malicious campaign was kick-started by Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, who levelled baseless accusations of vote theft and voter list rigging in a press conference held earlier this month. He even threatened the election officials with โconsequencesโ once his party comes to power.
Gandhiโs allegations were refuted by the Election Commission of India in a point-by-point manner. The commission urged Gandhi to submit his allegations enclosed in a written declaration, as required by the rules, and tender an apology for levelling false accusations against the commission. Interestingly, Gandhi did neither.
The opposition also has to face embarrassment in the Supreme Court after their request to stay the SIR in Bihar was declined by the court. The Apex Court acknowledged that the ECI was constitutionally empowered to conduct the SIR and that it was a routine exercise needed to update the electoral roll for fair and transparent elections.
