New Delhi: In a twist that undercuts weeks of fiery allegations, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has confirmed that not a single political party has lodged a formal complaint over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar — even as individual voters have submitted a staggering 28,370 claims and objections.

According to the ECI’s daily bulletin for August 15, covering the period from August 1 (3 pm) to August 15 (9 am), political parties have instead been busy mobilising on the ground, appointing 1,60,813 Booth Level Agents (BLAs). This includes 53,338 from the BJP, 47,506 from the RJD, 36,550 from the JD(U), and 17,549 from the Congress.

While Opposition leaders have repeatedly accused the ECI of bias and procedural lapses, the Commission says no party has taken the step of formally contesting the process. In contrast, individual electors are actively engaging, with 857 of the 28,370 requests already processed after mandatory verification.

The revision exercise has also seen 1,03,703 applications from first-time voters aged 18 and above, six of which were routed via BLAs. The ECI stressed that no name can be deleted from the draft rolls — published on August 1 — without a formal “speaking order” after due inquiry and a hearing for the concerned person.

The data suggests that while parties are fully participating in the revision process through their ground teams, they are refraining from officially challenging it — leaving the real action to individual voters.

What is the SIR issue?

The SIR in Bihar is a large-scale update of the state’s electoral rolls, aimed at verifying voter details, adding new eligible voters, and removing ineligible names. It has become a political flashpoint after several Opposition leaders accused the ECI of bias and alleged irregularities in the process.

Critics claim that eligible voters are being wrongly excluded, while ruling party opponents allege the revision is being used to manipulate the rolls ahead of upcoming elections.

The ECI, however, maintains that all claims and objections undergo strict verification, and no names are deleted without due process, including a formal “speaking order” and an opportunity for the affected voter to be heard.