New Delhi: In a key step ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, announced that the draft electoral rolls for all 243 constituencies will be published on Friday, August 1, 2025. The rolls will be available online on the official website and shared in both digital and physical formats with recognised political parties across Bihar’s 38 districts. Citizens and political parties can file claims or objections, including adding missing eligible voters, removing ineligible names, or correcting entries, from August 1 to September 1 through the 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs).
Gyanesh Kumar said, “As per Para 7(4) of SIR orders (Page 3), the draft electoral rolls of Bihar are being published tomorrow, ie, Friday, the 1 Aug 2025. Physical as well as digital copies will also be given to all recognised political parties in Bihar in all 38 Districts by all the 38 District Election Officers (DEOs) of Bihar. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar and 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will also be inviting any elector of that Assembly Constituency or any Recognised Political party in Bihar to come forward and give claims and objections from 1 Aug to 1 Sep 2025 for adding names of any missing eligible elector, removing names of any ineligible elector or correction of any entry in the draft electoral rolls.”
The SIR process is being conducted in three distinct phases, as outlined by the Election Commission. The first phase involved counting from June 24 to July 25, 2025. Following this, the draft voter list will be published on August 1. During the second phase, from August 1 to September 1, voters and political parties can submit claims or objections to correct any errors in the draft list. In the third phase, lasting until September 25, all Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will review and resolve these claims and objections.
The primary goals of the SIR process include ensuring full participation from voters and political parties, guaranteeing that no eligible voter in Bihar is left off the list, including temporary migrants, urban residents, and young voters, and maintaining continuous communication with voters and political parties. The process also involves the active participation of election staff and volunteers, addressing issues raised during the counting phase, and eliminating errors in the draft voter list during the claim period.
However, opposition parties have raised concerns about the SIR process. They argue that due to insufficient documentation requirements, many eligible voters could be disenfranchised. They also allege that the ruling BJP-JDU alliance might influence local election officers to their advantage. This issue has sparked daily debates and protests in both houses of Parliament during the monsoon session.