NEW DELHI – Indian election officials have launched a strict voter registration drive in Bihar, demanding proof of citizenship from millions of residents. The move has sparked concerns of mass disenfranchisement, especially among Muslims, Dalits, and poor communities.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced in June that all voters in Bihar must submit citizenship documents by July 25. Officials say the revision aims to remove “illegal immigrants” from electoral rolls. However, critics argue that many people simply do not have the required documents, especially in states with low literacy rates like Bihar.
Those registered before 2003 can submit old voter records, but others—around 30 million—must provide birth certificates or passports. Voters born after 1987 must also prove their parents’ Indian citizenship. Aadhaar cards, widely used across India, are not accepted as valid proof in this process.
Opposition leaders warn the policy will hurt vulnerable communities the most. “It will lead to mass disenfranchisement,” said Asaduddin Owaisi, a prominent Muslim lawmaker. Bihar’s main opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, has taken the issue to the Supreme Court, calling the move an “engineered exclusion.”
Experts also see this drive as a silent implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a controversial process first conducted in Assam in 2019. That exercise left nearly two million people off the list, many of them Muslims. Political analyst Yogendra Yadav calls the new Bihar campaign “NRC by the backdoor.”
The ECI plans to extend this model nationwide, which could impact millions more. Civil society groups and activists continue to warn of the grave risks this process poses to democratic participation and minority rights in India.