Owaisi Slams EC Over Bihar Polls Voter Revision: Citizenship Check is MHA’s Job, Not Election Commission’s

New Delhi, October 11, 2025 : All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticized the Election Commission (EC) over the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections, asserting that the issue is a major point of concern in the upcoming polls.

Owaisi alleged that the entire SIR exercise was carried out in “a hurry” and wrongly touched upon the sensitive subject of citizenship, which he argues falls under the jurisdiction of the Union Home Ministry (MHA), not the Election Commission.

The Bihar assembly polls are scheduled to take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results due on November 14. The controversy stems from the EC’s final electoral roll, which reported 7.42 crore voters, a reduction from 7.89 crore in June.

Key Allegations and Concerns:

• Massive Deletions: Owaisi pointed out that while 65 lakh names were initially removed from the draft roll, the EC later announced the removal of an additional 3.5 lakh ineligible voters, bringing the total final list to 7.42 crore voters. He stated, “If those whose names were deleted don’t check, you’ll see there’ll be another uproar on polling day.”
• “Hurry” and Pressure: The AIMIM chief questioned the haste in the revision process, noting that Bihar is a large state with a vast rural population, and the SIR exercise was only announced in June.
• Misplaced Authority: Owaisi’s central argument is that the EC’s notification for the SIR dangerously suggested that if a voter was not found after two or three attempts, the matter could be referred to the “competent authority under the Foreigners Citizenship Act.” He slammed this step, clarifying, “It is not your job to check citizenship. So, that is the job of the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs).”

The AIMIM’s Bihar unit chief, Akhtarul Iman, has taken the matter to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has responded to the issue by asking the Bihar State Legal Service Authority (BSLSA) to assist voters excluded from the final rolls in filing appeals with the EC, ensuring free legal aid for the excluded persons.

The Election Commission has defended the revision, stating that the SIR exercise was conducted “in line with Article 326 of the Constitution and ECI’s motto of ‘no eligible voter to be left out, and no ineligible person to be included in the Electoral rolls’.” The EC also noted that it held regular meetings with political parties to explain the SIR process.