Parties deployed 1.5 lakh agents for SIR in Bihar but oppose in SC: EC

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has claimed all major political parties were "involved" in Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and deployed over 1.5 lakh booth level agents to reach out to eligible voters but opposing the exercise in the Supreme Court.

In an affidavit filed in a plea challenging the June 24 order directing pan-India SIR of electoral rolls starting from Bihar, the ECI claimed having plenary powers to take such measures as to protect and maintain the purity of elections, including preparation of electoral rolls.

It is with this objective that the ECI has directed the conduct of pan-India SIR, beginning with Bihar, the ECI argued.

The poll panel said some of the petitioners before the apex court were MPs and MLAs from Bihar's recognised political parties who were assisting in the SIR exercise by providing BLAs.

"While, some of the petitioners are participating in the SIR and, at the same time, objecting here to the transparent exercise conducted by the ECI. These facts were within the knowledge of petitioners but not disclosed before this court, and have been deliberately suppressed. The humble submission on behalf of the ECI is that all the political parties had appreciated the necessity and correctness of the exercise undertaken by the ECI and have been co-operating and participating towards the timely completion of the said exercise," the ECI said.

The poll panel called it "noteworthy" that all political parties, for the first time, were involved at such as scale in the exercise, with the appointment of over 1.5 lakh booth level agents (BLAs) to work in tandem with booth level officers (BLOs).

The poll panel said the BJP deployed 52,698 BLAs, RJD 47,506 BLAs, JD(U) 35,799 BLAs, Congress 16,676 BLAs, LJP (Ram Vilas) 1153, CPI (ML) 1271, CPI(M) 739 BLAs, Rashtriya Lokjanshakti Party 1913 BLAs, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party 270 BLAs, BSP 74 BLAs and AAP a single BLA.

The poll panel said it had previously conducted SIRs more frequently and the last such exercise was undertaken in Bihar in 2002-2003, and the period of enumeration was from July 15, 2002 to August 14, 2002.

The ECI debunked the allegation that the exercise was being conducted "hastily" and said the enumeration period was between June 25, 2025 and July 26, 2025.

"Over the course of the last twenty-two years significant changes in electoral roll have occurred in the state of Bihar on a large scale. Additionally, rapid urbanisation and frequent migration of population from one place to another due to education, livelihood and other reasons have become a regular trend," the affidavit said.

Instances of repeat entries in the electoral rolls, the poll panel said, were noticed as some electors shift from one state to another without getting their names deleted from the electoral roll of their initial place of residence.

"Political parties across the spectrum have also voiced serious concerns regarding the accuracy of electoral rolls revised through the summary revision process, regarding the presence of names of deceased, shifted and non-citizens in the electoral roll," the ECI said.

The exercise was being carried out, the affidavit said, to "address these concerns and restore public confidence" being the "only legally recognised alternative under the existing legal framework for a comprehensive, ground-up preparation of the electoral roll".

Saying it took due care to conduct the SIR, the ECI submitted, "Therefore, the challenge to the SIR Order dated 24.06.2025 is without any merit and deserves to be rejected…" The poll panel said the allegation of the exclusion of any eligible voter based upon suspicion was entirely incorrect and unsustainable as the ECI was "well within its jurisdiction".

"Moreover, the SIR exercise is inclusionary and every attempt has been made by the ECI and its officials to ensure that no eligible elector is excluded from the electoral roll. Further, there are multiple layers of checks at all stages of the process, and no name of any elector will be deleted from the electoral roll without due process and compliance with principles of natural justice," it added.