Patna: Political stir has intensified regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign launched by the Election Commission ahead of the Assembly elections 2025 in Bihar. Meanwhile, social worker and BJP leader Rupesh Pandey described SIR as an important step and said that it will reveal the true status of voters.
Rupesh Pandey said while talking to reporters on Friday, “The aim of the SIR campaign is to make the voter list transparent and accurate. This will not only remove the names of fake voters, but will also add the names of eligible voters who were not included in the list till now. This process will bring out the true status of the voters of Bihar and make the elections more fair.”
He further said that the work of door-to-door voter verification under SIR has been completed and today, on August 1, 2025, the draft voter list has been published. “Now from August 2 to September 1, voters can file claims and objections for addition, deletion or correction of their names. This is a golden opportunity so that no eligible voter is deprived of voting,” Pandey added.
However, opposition parties, especially the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have questioned the SIR process. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has termed it an “attack on democracy” and alleged that the names of minority, Dalit and opposition-supporting voters can be removed through this campaign. The issue is also being heard in the Supreme Court, where the court has directed the Election Commission to maintain transparency.
The Election Commission has clarified that the purpose of SIR is only to update the voter list. According to the Commission, addresses of 42 lakh voters have been found missing in Bihar, while 7.5 lakh people have been found registered more than once. So far, more than 80 percent of the voters have submitted their details under this campaign.
Rupesh Pandey rejected the opposition’s allegations, saying, “This campaign is not against anyone. It is just a step towards strengthening Bihar’s democracy. We all should cooperate in this process.”
The Bihar assembly elections are likely to be held in October or November 2025, and the ongoing debate over SIR has further heated up the political atmosphere.
