All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday raised serious concerns over the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, warning that the rushed process could strip lakhs of people of their citizenship and livelihoods.
Addressing the media following a visit to the Election Commission office in Delhi, Owaisi said that even a 15-20 per cent omission rate in the electoral rolls could have grave consequences, especially for marginalised communities in the state.
He urged the Commission to extend the time frame of the exercise to ensure no eligible voter is left out.
“We are not opposed to the Special Intensive Revision, but it must be carried out with sufficient time and care,” said Owaisi. “Even if 15-20 per cent of people are missed from the list, they will also lose their citizenship… It’s not just a question of voting; livelihoods are at stake.”
The AIMIM leader emphasised that if names are removed from the voter rolls, individuals could be denied not only their right to vote but also access to key services and opportunities tied to official identification.
“We have conveyed to the Election Commission that people will face immense problems if this is carried out hastily,” he added.
Owaisi’s remarks come amid mounting legal and political challenges to the ECI’s directive. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on 10 July a batch of petitions challenging the June 24 order requiring voters in Bihar to submit proof of citizenship to retain their names on the electoral roll.
Petitioners include RJD MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), activist Yogendra Yadav, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, and former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam.
Represented by senior advocates including Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the petitioners argue that the ECI’s move imposes undue documentation burdens, particularly on the poor and marginalised.
They contend that the requirement for proof of citizenship could disenfranchise lakhs of voters, especially those without access to commonly accepted documents such as Aadhaar or ration cards.
ADR’s petition states that the directive “arbitrarily and without due process disenfranchises voters,” thus jeopardising the right to free and fair elections and undermining the constitutional framework.
In his plea, Manoj Jha accused the ECI of enabling “engineered exclusions” that disproportionately affect Muslims, Dalits, and poor migrants. “This is not a random process; it is a targeted effort,” he stated.
In response to the criticism, the Election Commission on Sunday said that the SIR exercise was progressing smoothly with cooperation from voters.
According to the Commission, 1,69,49,208 Enumeration Forms—representing 21.46 per cent of Bihar’s total 7.90 crore electors—had already been received. Of these, over 65 lakh forms were submitted in the previous 24 hours alone.
The ECI reiterated that voters have until 25 July to submit their documents. The draft electoral roll is expected to be published on 1 August, after which a scrutiny and objection period will follow, allowing further corrections.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said extensive stakeholder consultations had taken place in recent months.
“In the past four months, 5,000 meetings have been conducted by 4,123 Electoral Registration Officers, 775 District Election Officers, and 36 Chief Electoral Officers, engaging 28,000 representatives of political parties,” he said.
He acknowledged concerns about the current state of the rolls, stating that “no one was satisfied” and that the aim of the SIR was to update and improve the electoral register.
The Commission also reported the deployment of 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducting door-to-door verification, with 20,000 more appointed to meet the workload.
Additionally, around four lakh volunteers—including government staff, National Cadet Corps (NCC) members, and National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers—are assisting the elderly, disabled, and other vulnerable groups.
More than 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents nominated by political parties are also participating in the process, according to the ECI.
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