"Pure electoral rolls inevitable for strengthening democracy," says CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Bihar SIR

New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to the electors of India, as Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) saw active participation and made it possible to collect 57.48 per cent of the total Enumeration Forms required for verifying electors of the state ahead of the Assembly elections.
"The Election Commission of India was, is and will always be with the electors of India," Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, said in an official statement.
The ECI also reaffirmed the need to keep the electoral rolls untainted, adding, "Pure electoral rolls are inevitable for strengthening democracy."
The poll panel highlighted that around 4.5 crore forms have been collected from a total of around 7.9 crore voters in the state. According to an official statement, 10.52 per cent of the forms, over 83,000, have been collected in the last 24 hours (July 8-9).
"By 6 PM today, 4,53,89,881 Enumeration Forms, which is 57.48 per cent of the total of 7,89,69,844 (nearly 7.90 crore) existing electors of Bihar, have been collected in the last 15 days, since the SIR instructions on June 24, 2025. In the last 24 hours, from 6 PM yesterday, 83,12,804 Enumeration Forms have been collected, which amounts to 10.52 per cent collected in a single day," the ECI's statement read.
According to the EC, around 1.56 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLA) have been appointed to assist with the SIR in the state, all of whom were appointed by recognised political parties.
"Active participation of Bihar electors in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and tireless efforts of the election officials, the volunteers and 1.56-lakh proactive force of Booth Level Agents (NLAs) who have been appointed by all recognised political parties, has resulted in the collection of 57.48 per cent Enumeration Forms in the first 15 days of the exercise with 16 more days left," the statement read.
The SIR is expected to be completed by July 25, according to the EC.
"Maintaining the same momentum on the field and with just about 42.5 per cent forms remaining to be collected, the exercise of collecting the Enumeration Forms could be completed well before the stipulated date, July 25, 2025," the statement read.
The SIR exercise has been criticised by opposition parties as they accuse the poll panel of trying to steal the votes of the people, with All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)chief Asaduddin Owaisi calling it the "backdoor NRC (National Register of Citizens).
"By launching this so-called 'Intensive Revision,' the Election Commission of India (ECI) is casting doubt on all previous voter registrations and elections that it itself oversaw. Every *Special Summary Revision* is supposed to weed out duplicate or false entries and strengthen the integrity of the rolls. The last 'Intensive Revision' in Bihar was in 2003--just before the 2004 Lok Sabha and 2005 Vidhan Sabha elections," he added.
Earlier, during the Bihar bandh rally carried out in the state, Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi warned that the pattern of electoral manipulation seen in Maharashtra could be repeated in Bihar. (ANI)