Bihar Elections 2025: NDTV Exclusive: Sanjay Kumar On Bihar's "Votebandi" Fears!

Can Bihar’s 7.89 crore voters meet the ECI’s July 25 SIR deadline? Is the SIR a fair cleanup or a “Votebandi” risking 2 crore voters? Why are Aadhaar and voter ID excluded from the SIR process? Will low literacy derail the ECI’s “Inclusion First” promise? In an exclusive NDTV interview, leading psephologist Sanjay Kumar unpacks the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. Aligned with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, the SIR mandates that 7.89 crore voters verify their citizenship by July 25, 2025, using one of 11 specified documents—excluding Aadhaar and MNREGA. Kumar calls the timeline “impracticable” and warns of potential disenfranchisement, particularly among Bihar’s poor, Dalits, and migrants. Since June 25, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have reached 1.5 crore households, issuing 6.86 crore Enumeration Forms (87% of electors), but Bihar’s 61% literacy rate, outdated 2003 voter data, and 20,000 vacant BLO posts threaten inclusivity. Kumar urges the ECI to pause the SIR, engage opposition parties, and ensure transparency. Opposition leaders like Tejashwi Yadav and Prashant Kishor criticize the process for targeting marginalized groups, while the NDA’s Chirag Paswan defends it as essential for electoral integrity. With the Draft Electoral Roll due on August 1, 2025, and the final roll by September 30, is this a fair cleanup or a democratic threat? Watch Sanjay Kumar’s NDTV exclusive for expert insights, comment on whether the SIR risks Bihar’s voters, and subscribe for the latest on Bihar Elections 2025!