Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary slams Opposition over SIR: 'Back claims with facts'
Synopsis
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary has gone on the offensive over the SIR row, telling Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav to produce documents instead of making allegations. His defence: the SIR is not a new process, the objection window was open, and voters removed were deceased, relocated, or duplicate registrations — not a targeted suppression.
Key Takeaways
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary on 27 September 2026 rebuked the Opposition over allegations against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) .
He said the SIR is not new — a similar exercise was conducted in 2003 ; the 2025 revision built on the existing roll.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted door-to-door outreach; draft rolls were published with a formal objection window before the final list was released.
Choudhary addressed criticisms from Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav , stating objections could have been formally filed with the Election Commission of India .
Removed voters were those found to be deceased , permanently relocated , or registered at multiple locations , per the Chief Minister.
He supported the Opposition's right to protest but maintained the SIR is complete and questions have been addressed at appropriate levels.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on 27 September 2026 sharply rebuked the Opposition over its allegations against the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, demanding that parties substantiate their claims with concrete facts and documents rather than making what he called baseless accusations. The statement came in Patna amid mounting political pressure from opposition leaders over the voter list revision process.
What the Chief Minister Said
Choudhary emphasised that the SIR is not a novel mechanism introduced for the first time in Bihar. He pointed out that a similar exercise was conducted in 2003, and the 2025 revision was built upon the foundation of the existing electoral roll rather than starting from scratch. He urged the Opposition not to trivialise a legally established process through political rhetoric.
The Chief Minister further explained that during the SIR, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted door-to-door outreach across constituencies. The Election Commission of India (ECI) subsequently released draft electoral rolls, opening a formal window for claims and objections before the final list was published — a standard procedural safeguard.
Response to Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav
Addressing specific concerns raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav regarding names removed from voter lists, Choudhary stated that objections could have been formally lodged with the Election Commission, supported by documentation. He added that any discrepancies identified during the process were rectified through established procedures.
On the Opposition's demand to cancel the elections, the Chief Minister was unequivocal: mechanisms exist through the Election Commission and the courts for anyone with genuine grievances about electoral irregularities. He asserted that while raising questions about the electoral process is a democratic right, those questions must be grounded in verifiable facts rather than political allegation.
On Voter List Deletions
Choudhary noted that BLOs identified and removed a large number of voters who were deceased, had permanently relocated, or were registered at multiple locations. He argued this was not suppression of voters but a legitimate cleansing of the rolls to reflect ground realities, consistent with established electoral norms.
On the Opposition's Planned Agitation
While supporting parties' democratic right to protest and demonstrate, Choudhary maintained that the SIR has already been completed in Bihar and that questions surrounding the process have been addressed at the appropriate levels. He reiterated that the public holds the ultimate authority in elections, and political parties must respect the people's verdict. The ECI's draft roll publication and objection window, he argued, provided adequate opportunity for all parties to flag discrepancies before the final list was sealed.
Point of View
And the Opposition's failure to extensively use that window weakens its post-facto argument. Yet the deeper question the Chief Minister sidesteps is whether the scale of deletions — even if procedurally valid — warrants independent scrutiny given Bihar's history of contentious electoral rolls. Framing the debate as 'facts vs allegations' is effective political messaging, but it does not foreclose legitimate audit concerns. The real test will be whether any court or ECI review bears out the Opposition's specific claims of targeted removal, rather than routine database cleaning.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that Bihar CM is defending?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is an Election Commission of India process to comprehensively update voter rolls, involving door-to-door outreach by Booth Level Officers and a public objection window before the final list is published. Bihar conducted a similar exercise in 2003; the 2025 revision was built on that earlier roll.
Why is the Opposition objecting to the SIR in Bihar?
Opposition leaders including Congress's Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav have raised concerns that names were removed from the voter list, questioning the fairness of the process. They have reportedly demanded the cancellation of elections and announced plans for agitation over the issue.
What does Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary say about voters removed from the list?
Choudhary stated that those removed were voters found to be deceased, permanently relocated, or registered at multiple locations — standard categories for electoral roll cleaning. He maintained that any discrepancies could have been flagged through the formal objection mechanism provided by the Election Commission.
What recourse does the Opposition have over the SIR?
According to Choudhary, the Opposition can file formal objections with the Election Commission of India or approach the courts if they have evidence of irregularities. He noted that the objection window during the draft roll stage was the appropriate point to raise documented concerns.
Has the SIR process in Bihar been completed?
Yes, according to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, the SIR has been completed in Bihar and questions relating to it have already been addressed at the appropriate levels. The final electoral roll has been published following the draft and objection stage.
