Election Commission of India press conference (Photo PTI)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday, August 17, have categorically dismissed the Opposition charge over alleged irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in poll-bound Bihar.
Addressing a much-anticipated press conference at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar accused certain political parties of “spreading misinformation” on SIR.
“We saw a few days ago that photos of many voters were presented to the media without their permission. Allegations were made against them, they were used. Should the Election Commission share the CCTV videos of any voter, including their mothers, daughters-in-law, daughters? Only those whose names are in the voter list cast their votes to elect their candidate,” Kumar told reporters about concerns of ‘vote chori’ raised by Congress, the main opposition party in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and members of INDIA bloc, including the Samajwadi Party.
“EC does not discriminate among political parties. Fact is, all stakeholders are working to make SIR a success in a transparent manner. Our doors are open to everyone, booth level officers and agents,” he said.
Speaking on the controversial special intensive revision exercise, CEC Gyanesh Kumar informed the press that at least 1,60,000 booth-level agents have prepared a draft list. “As this draft list was being prepared in every booth, the booth-level agents of all political parties verified it with their signatures. Voters have submitted a total of 28,370 claims and objections,” he said.
Giving an update, the CEC said that in Bihar, since August 1, over one lakh new electors, who have turned 18 after the SIR exercise, have filed forms for inclusion in the voter list.
Defending the SIR, Kumar said that it is a myth that SIR has been carried out in haste and emphasised that it is the EC’s legal duty to correct the voter list before every election.
“It is a matter of grave concern that some parties and their leaders are spreading misinformation on SIR in Bihar… some political parties are firing from the Election Commission’s shoulder. The EC exhorts all political parties to file claims and objections on draft electoral rolls in Bihar … 15 days are still remaining.
Kumar added that the EC cannot discriminate among political parties, and both ruling and opposition parties are equal before the poll authority.
“It is an insult to the Indian Constitution if election petitions are not filed within 45 days but allegations of vote chori are raised,” he said.
Neither the EC nor the voters are scared of “baseless allegations” of double voting and “vote chori”, Kumar stressed, adding that the Election Commission will remain steadfast with voters of all classes without bothering about politics being played by some.
“More than one crore employees are engaged in the election exercise. Can ‘vote chori’ happen in such a transparent process?” he questioned.
The ECI concluded the enumeration phase of the SIR from June 24 to July 25. More than 7.24 crore electors — out of a total of 7.89 crore — submitted their enumeration forms during the exercise. At the end, about 65 lakh voters were found to be missing from the draft electoral rolls published on August 1. This included 22 lakh deceased electors (2.83 percent), 36 lakh (4.59 percent) who had permanently shifted or not found and seven lakh (0.89 percent) who had enrolled at more than one place, ECI data showed.
The press conference followed the Supreme Court’s interim order directing the poll body to include Aadhaar among the documents for verifying voter eligibility. Earlier, the EC had said the SIR exercise would rely on a set of 11 documents, excluding common IDs such as Aadhaar, EPICs, ration cards, and PAN cards.
Following the SC’s order, the Election Commission will include Aadhaar as proof of eligibility for those who have been deleted from the revised list. “Those who are aggrieved, the EC will take their Aadhaar,” CEC Kumar said.
He said that the EC is a constitutional institution and that it has neither a “paksh” nor a “vipaksh” (i.e. that it neither favours nor opposes anyone).
“It doesn’t matter which party one belongs to. The EC will not back down on its constitutional duties,” he said.
Responding to the CEC’s comments at the press conference about EC not discriminating between political parties, senior Congress leader and AICC General Secretary Jairam Ramesh called it ‘laughable’ and said that there are ‘mountains of evidence on the contrary’.
In a post on X, he stated “Today, a short while after Shri. Rahul Gandhi launched the INDIA janbandhan’s Voter Adhikar Yatra from Sasaram, the CEC and his two ECs began by saying they make no distinction between the ruling party and the opposition. This is laughable, to put it very mildly, in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary. Notably, the CEC answered none of the pointed questions raised by Shri. Rahul Gandhi meaningfully.”
Speaking of the Supreme Court’s directions to the EC on the publication of the 65 lakh omitted voters’ details in a searchable format and accepting Aadhar as ID proof, the Congress leader said, “All that matters now is simply this: will the ECI implement, in letter and spirit, the Supreme Court’s orders of August 14th, 2025 on the Bihar SIR process? It is constitutionally bound to do so. The nation is waiting and watching.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that his party has submitted 18,000 affidavits about “vote theft”, but the Election Commission has not taken action so far.
“The list keeps getting longer. There has been no response on the wrongdoings we pointed out, nor on the affidavits we submitted,” Yadav alleged.
Stating that the Election Commission has the “historic responsibility” of safeguarding democracy, the SP chief said that when it takes the “right course”, support of crores of Indians will become its shield.
Yadav said that a single “correct and bold step” by the poll panel could secure the future and welfare of countless generations in the country.
“The Election Commission needs not just reforms but a complete transformation. Today, the historic duty of protecting democracy rests on its shoulders. We understand that it faces various unwarranted pressures, but it must not think it stands alone,” Yadav said in a statement.
When one walks the path of truth, people and their faith walk along, the Samajwadi Party leader said.
“When the Election Commission chooses the right course, crores of Indians will stand behind it as its shield. When one walks the path of truth, people and their faith walk along. A single correct and bold step by the commission can ensure the future and well-being of endless generations. Everyone must listen to the voice of their conscience,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Election Commission after its press conference, alleging that the Modi government brought in a law in 2023 to ensure that no one can take action against the poll body as it is “helping” the BJP and “indulging in vote chori” along with them.
Addressing a gathering at the end of the first day of his Voter Adhikar Yatra, which began from Sasaram this afternoon, Gandhi also said that while he was asked to submit an affidavit after his press conference exposing “vote chori”, no such demand was made from BJP leaders who made similar claims in their presser.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was a way to steal votes of the people of the state.
“Today they (EC) held a press conference. I want to ask them why the government changed the law on CCTV footage of the election process.
“Do you know that no case can be initiated against the election commissioners. In no court in India can there be a case against them. This law was made in 2023. Why was this law made? It was made because Narendra Modi and Amit Shah want to ensure that no one can take any action against the EC as it is helping them and is indulging in voter chori along with them,” Gandhi said.
Sharply reacting to the Election Commission’s press conference, Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao said the interaction has left India with more questions than answers.
Taking to X, he said, “Today’s press conference left us with more questions than answers. Chief Election Commissioner’s explanations seem more like excuses than solutions. The only thing that we clearly now know is that the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is supposed to safeguard the democratic process, seems to be functioning as an extended arm of the NDA.”
(This copy has been updated with KTR’s statement on the EC press conference.)
This post was last modified on August 17, 2025 10:26 pm