EC Finds Nepal, Bangladesh Nationals in Bihar Voter List
The Election Commission will eventually carry out a special intensive revision of electoral rolls across India to weed out foreign illegal migrants by checking their place of birth
New Delhi: During house-to-house visits for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) discovered that many people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar had obtained all required documents, including Aadhaar cards, domicile certificates and ration cards, Election Commission (EC) sources said. The EC will conduct a detailed inquiry from August 1-30; if the initial findings are confirmed, those names will be excluded from the final voter list to be published on September 30.
Meanwhile, the EC has activated its election machinery across other states in preparation for a possible pan-India SIR next month, similar to Bihar’s exercise. Bihar will go to polls at the end of this year, while Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are scheduled for 2026. This move follows recent crackdowns in several states on illegal foreign migrants, including those from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Last week, the Supreme Court upheld the SIR as a “constitutional mandate” and allowed the EC to proceed with the Bihar exercise despite challenges from opposition parties arguing it could disenfranchise legitimate voters.
Some state Chief Electoral Officers have already republished their voters’ lists following their last SIR. Delhi’s CEO website shows the 2008 electoral roll, the capital’s most recent intensive revision, while Uttarakhand’s site carries the 2006 roll. For Bihar, the EC is using the 2003 voter list as the cutoff for the current revision. Most states conducted their SIRs between 2002 and 2004.
The EC will decide on a nationwide SIR after the Supreme Court resumes hearing the Bihar case on July 28. Ultimately, the Commission intends to review electoral rolls across India to identify and remove illegal foreign migrants by verifying their places of birth.
