Voter Purge Alert: ECI Tightens Norms as 6.5 Million Deleted from Bihar Rolls

In a significant policy shift impacting millions of potential voters, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has mandated Aadhaar-linked OTP authentication for all new voter registrations under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). This tightening of rules, effective immediately across 12 states including West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, requires applicants to provide one of 11 specified citizenship documents in addition to Aadhaar. The move comes as the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, sharply questioned the ECI this week, asking, "Just because a person was granted Aadhaar for ration, should he be made a voter also?" and reiterating that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.

The Context (How We Got Here)

This administrative overhaul follows a controversial pilot in Bihar where 6.5 million voters were deleted from the rolls—a figure critics argue disproportionately targeted minorities, women, and migrant workers. The SIR process, compressed into a 3-month timeline, has placed immense pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs), with reports of at least six suicides among election staff due to workload stress. While the ECI frames the Aadhaar linkage as a fraud-prevention measure to weed out "illegal immigrants," civil rights groups warn it risks mass disenfranchisement of legitimate citizens who lack digitally linked documents.

The Key Players (Who & So What)

• Election Commission of India: The enforcer. By mandating Aadhaar authentication while simultaneously disabling its own de-duplication software (as revealed by investigative reports), the ECI faces accusations of prioritizing exclusion over accuracy.
• Chief Justice Surya Kant: The skeptic. His bench's observation that "Aadhaar is not absolute proof of citizenship" challenges the ECI's reliance on the ID for voter verification, setting up a potential constitutional showdown.
• Kapil Sibal (Senior Advocate): The challenger. Representing opposition states, he argues the SIR imposes an "unconstitutional burden" on poor voters, effectively creating a barrier to democracy for those without perfect paperwork.

The BIGSTORY Reframe

While the headlines focus on "Aadhaar rules," the deeper story is the "Invisible Disenfranchisement." The ECI's reliance on a tech-heavy verification process (OTP, e-signatures) in a country with a vast digital divide is not just a modernization effort; it's a filter. By shifting the burden of proof onto the individual voter and removing human discretion from the process, the system is quietly purging millions—6.5 million in Bihar alone—without the public outcry that a physical purge would trigger. The tragic suicides of BLOs are the collateral damage of a system demanding digital perfection from an analog reality.

The Implications (Why This Changes Things)

This policy could fundamentally alter the electorate ahead of the 2026 state elections. If the Bihar pattern holds, millions of marginalized voters in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu could find their names missing from the rolls, with no recourse but a complex digital re-application process. The Supreme Court's intervention suggests the judiciary is aware of the risk, but unless the ECI halts the SIR or relaxes the documentation norms, the 2026 elections may be decided by who is allowed to vote, not just who they vote for.

The Closing Question (Now, Think About This)

If a digital ID originally meant for ration distribution becomes the gatekeeper of your right to vote, have we made democracy more secure, or just more exclusive?

FAQs

Is Aadhaar mandatory for voting in India in 2025? For new voter registrations (Form 6) and online updates, the Election Commission now mandates Aadhaar-linked OTP authentication. However, the Supreme Court has clarified that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, and applicants must also provide one of 11 valid citizenship documents.

Can Aadhaar be used as proof of citizenship for voting? No. On November 26, 2025, the Supreme Court explicitly stated that Aadhaar is a residence proof for benefits, not a proof of citizenship. It cannot be the sole basis for adding a name to the electoral roll.

Why are voters being deleted from electoral rolls in 2025? The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) aims to remove duplicate and "illegal" voters. However, reports indicate that over 6.5 million voters were deleted in Bihar alone, with critics alleging that the strict documentation rules disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

What documents are needed for new voter registration? Applicants need their Aadhaar number for OTP verification, plus one of 11 citizenship proofs, such as a Birth Certificate, Indian Passport, Pan Card, Driving License, or Class 10/12 Marksheet.

Why are BLOs protesting the voter revision process? Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are protesting due to extreme work pressure. The timeline for verifying millions of voters was compressed from years to months, leading to severe stress and reportedly at least six suicides among election staff.

Sources

News Coverage

• India Today – Supreme Court hearing on SIR: Should intruders with Aadhaar be made voters?
• NDTV – Election Commission clarifies on Aadhaar for voter roll change
• Times of India – Applying for new voter ID? Keep these papers ready
• New Indian Express – Nationwide SIR: When a clean-up becomes a mess

Research & Analysis

• LiveLaw – Aadhaar used only as proof of identity, not citizenship: ECI tells Supreme Court
• Reporters' Collective – ECI skipped its fraud-busting software, lakhs of duplicates remain
• The CSR Journal – Is Aadhaar Mandatory for New Voters in West Bengal?