EC Survey Finds Bangladeshis, Nepalese, And Myanmar Nationals In Bihar Voter List: Report

In a major development ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, a door-to-door verification drive by the Election Commission has reportedly found that many people originally from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar are currently living in the poll-bound state, NDTV reported, citing sources in the poll body.

As part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) launched on 24 June, the election officials conducting house-to-house surveys found that several such individuals had obtained Aadhaar cards, domicile certificates, and ration cards, apparently through illegal channels, according to EC sources cited in the report.

The Election Commission plans to verify these cases between 1 and 30 August.

If the allegations are proved, the names of these voters will be struck off the voter list, according to the sources.

This move is expected to intensify political tensions in the state, with the Opposition questioning the timing and intent behind the electoral roll revision exercise.

While the EC has stated the revision is necessary due to rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, demographic shifts, and to weed out ineligible voters, political parties like the RJD and Congress allege that the revision is designed to exclude legitimate voters.

The BJP has defended the process, calling it essential for removing fake voters.

The matter is currently before the Supreme Court.

During Thursday’s hearing, the court raised concerns about the timing of the revision and questioned whether adequate safeguards were in place to prevent wrongful disenfranchisement.

The bench said it had “serious doubts” about the EC’s ability to complete the process without affecting genuine voters, noting that such an exercise should ideally be decoupled from the election timeline.

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