ECI’s Foreigner Claims in Bihar Voter List: A Pretext for Political Manipulation

Mohammad Shafi, National Vice President of the Social Democratic Party of India, strongly condemns the Election Commission of India’s unsubstantiated and opaque claim of having identified a “large number” of foreign nationals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar in Bihar’s voter list during its Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This baseless assertion amounts to a direct assault on democracy, seemingly aimed at disenfranchising marginalized communities—particularly Muslims and Bengali-speaking citizens in Seemanchal—ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

The ECI’s statement lacks concrete data or evidence, seriously undermining its credibility. Despite having completed a comprehensive voter roll revision in January 2025, the Commission abruptly initiated another SIR in June, targeting 7.9 crore voters within just one month. The rushed process, disproportionately focused on Seemanchal—where Muslims make up 47% of the population—echoes the NDA’s divisive narrative on illegal immigration, and appears to be a political maneuver to suppress opposition votes. Moreover, the ECI’s intervention in matters of citizenship verification, a domain constitutionally reserved for the Ministry of Home Affairs, exceeds its mandate under Article 324, which demands electoral impartiality.

Initially, the SIR excluded commonly accepted identification documents such as Aadhaar and voter ID cards—an exclusion only reversed by Supreme Court intervention. This has imposed an unjust burden on Bihar’s most vulnerable—migrant workers, lower-caste communities, and the poor—many of whom lack birth certificates. The process risks mass disenfranchisement, mirroring a de facto National Register of Citizens (NRC).

In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s request to postpone voter roll revisions until after the NRC’s completion in October 2025 further raises alarm. The NRC’s 2019 draft had already excluded 19 lakh individuals—including 7 lakh Muslims—due to stringent documentation criteria. This emerging pattern across states suggests a coordinated attempt to marginalize minorities under the guise of protecting electoral integrity.

The ECI’s actions stigmatize Seemanchal’s population as “foreigners” and erode public trust in democratic institutions. The SDPI demands the immediate suspension of the SIR, full disclosure of all evidence related to the foreigner claims, simplified documentation processes, and independent monitoring to ensure fairness.

We stand firmly with the marginalized communities of Bihar and Assam. This systematic assault on their voting rights will not be tolerated. The ECI must fulfill its constitutional duty to protect democracy—not become a tool of political manipulation.