Nepali, Bangladeshi, Myanmar Nationals Found In Bihar Voter Rolls, Names To Be Dropped: ECI Sources

Large numbers of Nepali, Bangladeshi, and Myanmar nationals found in Bihar voter rolls; EC to probe and remove names ahead of final list on Sep 30, sparking political and legal controversy.

Booth Level Officers collect and fill counting forms from voters in Vaishali's Patepur block.

Source : ANI

A sweeping door-to-door voter verification drive in Bihar has uncovered a “large number of people” from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar residing in the state — many of whom, officials say, may have illegally entered the electoral system.

As part of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), launched on June 24 to update Bihar’s voter lists ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducting house-to-house surveys have identified numerous suspected non-citizens who allegedly acquired Indian documents like Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and domicile certificates through unauthorized means.

During house-to-house visits during SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in Bihar, a large number of people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar have been found by Booth Level Officers. Their names shall not be included in the final list to be published on 30 Sep 2025 after proper…

— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2025

According to sources within the Election Commission of India (ECI), these cases will undergo thorough scrutiny between August 1 and August 30. Any names found to have been fraudulently added will be removed before the final voter list is published on September 30.

This revelation has intensified the already heated political climate in Bihar, where opposition parties have questioned the timing and intent of the voter roll revision.

A Controversial Exercise in a Charged Climate

The SIR, the first such comprehensive voter list revision in Bihar since 2003, aims to include eligible citizens while filtering out ineligible and potentially fraudulent entries. The EC has cited multiple factors necessitating this effort — including rapid urbanization, youth reaching voting age, unreported deaths, and the suspected inclusion of foreign nationals.

However, opposition leaders have expressed deep concerns. The RJD and Congress have openly accused the exercise of being politically motivated, claiming it’s a “conspiracy” to exclude certain voter groups deliberately. In response, the BJP has defended the move, insisting it’s a much-needed clean-up to ensure only genuine voters are included. “If the voters are genuine, why worry?” party leaders have countered.

Supreme Court Steps In

Amid the growing uproar, the matter has landed in the Supreme Court, where a coalition of petitioners — including RJD MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, activist Yogendra Yadav, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, and former MLA Mujahid Alam — has challenged the EC’s decision to carry out the revision in an election year.

During a hearing on Thursday, the court voiced serious reservations about the feasibility and fairness of the revision process so close to the polls. While acknowledging the legitimacy of removing non-citizens from the rolls, the bench questioned the practicality of completing such an intensive review — involving over 8 crore voters — without disenfranchising genuine citizens or denying them the opportunity to appeal.

“The problem is not with the exercise, it’s with the timing,” the court observed. “A person could be excluded just before the election, without enough time to challenge that exclusion.”

The bench further clarified that while Aadhaar may not be proof of citizenship, documents like Aadhaar, ration cards, and the EC-issued voter ID should still be treated as valid identifiers during the re-verification process. Despite the concerns raised, the court has not halted the ongoing revision.

What Lies Ahead?

As the August investigation period nears, all eyes are on how the Election Commission manages the delicate task of ensuring a clean, accurate voter list without compromising the rights of legitimate voters. Will the final list reflect fairness and transparency — or will it deepen the political fault lines already emerging in the state?