During the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, the Election Commission discovered a “significant number” of individuals originally from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar living in the state. These irregularities emerged from a house-to-house verification exercise aimed at cleansing the rolls ahead of upcoming elections.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other field officials identified numerous entries belonging to these foreign nationals. The EC has declared that these names will not be included in the final voter list, pending formal inquiries conducted between August 1 and August 30. The finalized electoral roll is scheduled for publication on September 30, 2025.

This SIR exercise, launched on June 24, 2025, involves verifying over 7.8 crore voters, with BLOs managing door-to-door enumeration. So far, more than 80% of eligible electors have submitted forms.

The move is part of a broader EC strategy to eliminate ineligible or foreign entries and reinforce electoral roll integrity nationwide. However, the timing and methodology have ignited controversy. Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised concerns about potential disenfranchisement, especially of migrant workers. The Supreme Court has intervened, urging the EC to accept documents like Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as proof of citizenship during this process.