Bihar First, Bengal Next: The Electoral Purge Has Begun

Poonam Sharma
India is today witness to what can be its most radical electoral reform since the times of T.N. Seshan. Behind the man who is at the forefront of this seismic shift stands Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who has taken on the charge of electoral cleansing and transparency in a manner few in recent Indian history have ever ventured.

On 17th February 2025, Kumar was unanimously selected as India’s first Chief Election Commissioner according to the new appointment process enacted by the Modi government. He will hold office until 26th January 2029, thus guiding the unfolding of the next 2024 Lok Sabha elections. But what is going to make his legacy resound across decades isn’t that he holds the position — it’s that he made a choice.

The Bihar Experiment: Rigorous Revision After 23 Years
The Election Commission has initiated a statewide Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in Bihar, a state infamous for vote-bank politics, caste politics, and bogus voter registration. This is no ordinary updation. It is the first extensive such voter verification since 23 years — the previous one was in 2002.

Under this program, each and every name, photo, and address listed in the voter roll will be examined. BLOs will go door-to-door in 243 constituencies, physically cross-check documents, and revise records. The exercise has already begun on June 25 and will run till September 30, resulting in an entirely overhauled and checked final list.

Cut-off Criteria and New Rules for Citizenship Verification
The actual bombshell? The cut-off criteria.

Born prior to 1st July, 1987: Any valid identification establishes Indian citizenship.

Born between 1st July, 1987 and 31st December, 2003: One needs to provide personal ID along with one parent’s valid document for Indian citizenship.

Born on or after 1st January, 2004: Both parents have to give evidence of Indian citizenship – like passport, visa, or government documents. In case even one parent is foreign, the voter is disqualified.

This renders millions who formerly exploited loopholes by merely procuring Aadhaar or PAN cards ineligible. These cards, outrageously simple to procure with false documents, are now not acceptable as proof of citizenship. Only Passports and Voter IDs qualify as strong identifiers.

Why the Panic? Bengal, Congress, and the Appeasement Bloc
While the pilot is being implemented in Bihar, the political rumblings are most strongly being felt in West Bengal. Why? Because states such as Bengal, Assam, and Kerala have long witnessed illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya settlers pouring in, many of whom have successfully entered the electoral process.

Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav are already reacting sharply. The reason is obvious — the electoral backbone of appeasement politics is under threat. If these illegal or ineligible names are wiped out from the voter lists, entire strategies built around “vote banks” collapse.

Make no mistake — this isn’t just administrative reform. It’s a political gamechanger.

Rahul Gandhi’s Cry of Foul, Election Commission’s Retort
Last week, Rahul Gandhi accused Maharashtra of voter fraud when he said that names were added on voter rolls by using fictitious names. His sustained accusation against the Election Commission is no novelty — he’s usually the most vociferous critic asking for the EC’s impartiality to be questioned. But what occurred this time was novel.

The Election Commission responded: “Show us proof.”
And when evidence was not shown, the Commission took it to a higher level — initiating the Intensive Revision process not just in Bihar but ultimately in all five states going to polls next year: West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.

As the 2024 General Elections come around, this exercise may have been extended across the whole nation.

Transparency or Tyranny? The Opposition Dilemma
This action, in any other situation, would be praised as a move towards electoral purity. But not everyone is pleased. The same opposition calling for “transparency” is now decrying this process as “unfair,” arguing that three months is not enough time for a revision of this scale.

Let’s not forget — the previous time such an exercise was undertaken in 2003, it took almost two years. But the EC is not one to be deterred. They take the position that times have changed and with improved digital infrastructure and human resources, the process is much more efficient.

The statistics speak for themselves:

77,895 existing BLOs

20,603 new BLOs to be appointed

100,000+ volunteers to support the elderly, disabled, and underprivileged groups

The goal? Leave none of the legitimate voters behind, but weed out each and every ineligible one.

Constitutional Spine: EC Has the Power
This action isn’t capricious. It’s based on the Constitution.

Article 324(1): Gives the Election Commission control of all electoral management activities, including preparation and revision of voter rolls.

Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Section 21): Empowers the EC to undertake special revisions on a whim.

Registration of Electors Rules, 1960: Gives the EC the authority to carry out intensive or summary revisions, as the need may be.

Truly, the EC is absolutely within its rights. And more significant — it’s doing what governments were afraid to do.

Suppose the Modi government had implemented NRC. Courts would be clogged, demonstrations would break out, and all media channels would shout authoritarianism. But with the EC in charge — a constitutional, autonomous institution — the stakes are different.

A Step Closer to T.N. Seshan’s Legacy
Its past CEC T.N. Seshan was a house-hold name in the 1990s for tiding over India’s messy electoral process. Gyanesh Kumar’s steps today put him in the same league — if not ahead — as Seshan. Why? Because this change not only guarantees election transparency but also takes on directly illegal political patronage rings based on ghost voters.

The Numbers That Matter
Let’s go back to Bihar:

89 million registered voters

At least 27.5 million will be document-based verified

That’s 30% of the total electorate

Now apply that to Bengal and Assam, where illegal immigrants are in the millions.

This is the largest voter roll purging exercise in Indian history. And it could very well determine the 2024 election results in at least a few critical states.

Conclusion: It’s Not About Politics, It’s About India
This is not about BJP vs Congress, or Modi vs Gandhi.

This is Indian democracy purging itself — from within, with its own constitutional instruments. The charge has been taken up by the Election Commission, not the government.

So we ask you:

???? Are you with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s daring reform?
???? Will this finally put an end to ghost voting and unlawful influence in Indian elections?
???? Can this be a model for democracies to come in the rest of the world?

Let us know in the comments.

And if you believe in fair, open, and constitutional democracy —
Chant it loud: “Jai Siyaram!”

Because today, democracy made a bold move forward — beginning from Bihar.