Assessment of PR Tools used During Bihar Assembly Election with Special Reference to Political Situation Arising Due to Special intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar

1. Introduction

The integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral process are fundamental pillars of any functioning democracy including the world’s largest democracy ‘India’. In a big country like India with over 140 crore population conducting free and fair elections is a daunting task for the government. Established on January 25, 1950, Election Commission of India (ECI) is basically an autonomous constitutional body which is assigned with the responsibility for efficiently administering the Union and State election processes in the country. The ECI administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country. The basic motto of conducting the elections is providing the citizens of the country a political leader contesting election for the position of Member of Parliament (MP), Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) or other voter elected positions. With the aim to fulfilling its duty as the constitutional authority, the Election Commission take time-to-time corrective measures to ensure conducting the fair elections without any prejudice and favour to any political party contesting election. The Bihar Assembly election is around the corner and recently the ECI has taken a big decision for updating and revising the electoral rolls of voters through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a targeted and detailed exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India to rectify large-scale errors, omissions, and duplications in the electoral rolls, particularly in states or constituencies witnessing administrative changes, political sensitivities, or poor electoral participation. Unlike the routine summary revisions, SIR involves a door-to-door verification process, deployment of additional field staff, and a structured public participation mechanism to authenticate the voters’ list. The primary objective is to ensure that every eligible citizen is enfranchised and that the voter list reflects a true and updated demographic profile of the electorate.

Started on June 24, 2025, the SIR was conducted over a period of one-month upto July 25, 2025 in Bihar to fix the anomalies in the details of voters as recorded in voter list of year 2003. According to EC, there were 7.93 crore registered voters in Bihar before SIR began in June 24, 2025, while around 65 lakh voters were omitted from the voters list due to varied reasons as per the draft list released on August 01, 2025 [1]. As per the Press Release 1 of Press Information Bureau (PIB) [2], Government of India Enumeration Forms were the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar was implemented smoothly at the ground level with the active cooperation of the electors.  In the initial phase of SIR, the Enumeration forms were printed and distributed among the electors. Further, the draft electoral rolls that was issued on 1 August 2025 carrying the names of persons whose enumeration forms are received. After publication of draft Electoral Rolls, if any document is deficient, EROs can obtain such documents from the electors whose name in the draft Electoral Rolls, during scrutiny in the Claims and Objection period. During the whole extensive exercise of SIR, 77,895 BLOs were deputed to help the electors fill out their Enumeration Forms and collect them. Additionally, 20,603 BLOs were appointed for the smooth and timely completion of the process. Nearly 4 lakh volunteers which included government officials, NCC cadets, NSS members etc. were also working on the field to facilitate the elderly, PwDs, sick and vulnerable populations in the SIR process. Besides, 239 EROs covering all the 243 ACs, 963 AEROs, 38 DEOs and the CEO of the state are at the ground level to facilitate the electors to submit their forms. 1,54,977 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by various political parties are also providing active support in the SIR process.

As Press Note 2 issued by Election Commission on August 01, 2025 says that “Following the successful completion of the first phase (Enumeration Phase) of Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025 in Bihar, the Draft Electoral Roll has been published today i.e 1 August, 2025. The draft list is available at ECI portal: https://voters.eci.gov.in/download-eroll?stateCode=S04 . Also, booth-wise draft lists of all the 90,712 polling booths of all 243 Assembly Constituencies have been shared with all the political parties by 38 DEOs of Bihar, today on 1 August.” : In their endeavour to reach each village, each ward, each house and add the name of each eligible elector to the draft Electoral Roll, the CEO of Bihar; DEOs of all 38 districts; EROs of all 243 Assembly Constituencies; 2,976 AEROs; BLOs of 90,712 polling booths, lakhs of volunteers and the 1.60 Lakh BLAs nominated by all the 12 political parties have carried out the task with full responsibility. During this drive more than 7.24 crore electors of Bihar filled up the Enumeration Forms; all included in the draft Electoral Roll.

Further the ECI had given one month’s time for Claims & Objections – from 1 August to 1 September, 2025, during this period, to add the name of any eligible elector or to delete the name of any ineligible elector, any elector or any political party, can file claims and objections in a prescribed form before the concerned ERO. All eligible electors were appealed to check their names in the draft list, and if their name does not exist in the list, they should fill and submit Form 6 along with the Declaration Form. It is also mentioned that the Young voters, who have turned 18 years on 1 July or are going to turn 18 by 1 October, 2025, should also get their name added to the Electoral roll by filling Form 6 along with the Declaration Form.

In order to create awareness amongst the electors of Bihar, advertisements were also given by ECI in Newspapers, Television, Social Media and other medium of communication. To make this process easy for the people of Bihar, Special Camps were set-up in all Block-cum-Circle Offices and Urban Local Body Municipal Offices, from 10 AM to 5 PM (on all days from Monday to Sunday) up to 1st September 2025.

Any elector of Bihar, can check his name in the draft Electoral Roll by filling his EPIC number directly in the Link: Https://voters.eci.gov.in and can also file his Claim or Objection for addition or deletion of name. As per SIR orders, NO NAME CAN BE DELETED from the draft Electoral Roll, by the concerned ERO/AERO without giving a hearing to the elector and subsequently passing a written order, which are appealable to the DM and the CEO. All eligible electors would be given new Identity cards. Therefore, all electors were requested to provide their new photographs to their BLOs by 1st September 2025.

In the context of Bihar, a politically sensitive and demographically complex state, the implementation of SIR assumes greater significance. Past electoral cycles in the region have highlighted challenges such as voter exclusion, fake entries, and politically motivated manipulation of voter lists. Therefore, the Election Commission’s decision to undertake SIR in Bihar, especially during critical election periods, is a strategic intervention aimed at restoring public trust in the electoral system and strengthening democratic participation. This research paper seeks to explore the scope, execution, and impact of the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar, analyzing its role in shaping the political environment during Bihar assembly elections. It also examines how the SIR process influenced the perception of electoral fairness among stakeholders and evaluates its implications for future electoral reforms in India.

• Review of Literature

 Since a long time, the Electoral roll management is considered a technical and administrative aspect of electoral processes of the democratic setup across the world, which is taken care by the Election Commission of India (ECI). However, Bihar is a politically sensitive state, where a routine electoral exercise often carries significant political implications which is being observed in the latest Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the ECI. As claimed by the EC, the SIR being conducted before the upcoming Bihar elections is basically aimed to ensure inclusive, accurate, and up-to-date electoral rolls. However, at the same time its implementation in Bihar by the ECI, has raised several questions related to its timing, short time-frame, political interests, and socio-political consequences of voter inclusion and exclusion in the long run. In the recent years, the political implications of electoral reforms and administrative exercises like the SIR by the ECI have also drawn substantial scholarly attention. Jha and Choubey [3] emphasizes that in multi-party democracies with deep social cleavages, such as India, any significant revision in electoral rolls can influence electoral outcomes. He argues that political parties often perceive these revisions as strategies to reshape voter demographics. Roy [4] explores Bihar’s unique political culture, where caste-based alliances and shifting coalitions heighten the stakes of any administrative decision. Sridharan (2016) notes that revisions can be seen as either correcting historical voter exclusion or manipulating electoral outcomes under the guise of administrative improvement. Mehta [5] underscores the importance of the ECI’s neutrality, arguing that trust in democratic institutions can be eroded if even apolitical actions appear to be politically motivated. Kumar [6] focuses on the inclusion of marginalized groups, particularly in Bihar, during electoral revision exercises. He finds that Scheduled Castes (SCs), minorities, and rural youth are often left out due to documentation issues, poor outreach, and lack of awareness. When such exclusions happen during a politically active period, it creates suspicion among the public and parties alike, contributing to a tense political environment. Palshikar [7] further elaborates that the timing and communication of processes like SIR can either enhance transparency or deepen mistrust, depending on the political context and media portrayal. Alam [8] notes that electoral reforms in Bihar frequently become politicized due to the competitive nature of elections and historical distrust between political actors and state institutions. Chaudhary [9] examines how regional media in Bihar frame electoral developments. Her study suggests that local media plays a pivotal role in either legitimizing or contesting administrative decisions like SIR, shaping public opinion, and fueling political debates.

Despite the substantial discourse on electoral processes and voter behavior, there exists limited academic work specifically focused on the political ramifications of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Most existing studies address electoral roll management as a technical or bureaucratic process, leaving a gap in understanding the socio-political consequences that may arise from such exercises. This review reveals that while there is an established understanding of electoral processes and political behavior, the intersection of SIR and its direct political implications in Bihar remains underexplored.

• Aims & Objectives of the study

 This study aims to critically analyze the political situation that emerged due to the SIR process being undertaken by the ECI as a pilot project in a limited time frame, with special reference to party responses, voter perception, and administrative transparency. This research seeks to explore how a constitutionally mandated administrative exercise designed to ensure accuracy and inclusivity in electoral roll acquired political overtones and generated reactions from political parties, media, and the general public.  The objectives of this study are as follows:

1. To understand the framework and procedural aspects of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Bihar.
2. To analyze the political responses and narratives of various political parties regarding the timing, implementation, and outcomes of the SIR process.
3. To assess the perceived or real impact of SIR on voter demographics, including inclusion, exclusion, and re-registration of specific social or political groups.
4. To examine the role of PR, media and civil society in shaping public opinion and political discourse around the SIR process in Bihar and its implications for democratic participation in the state.
5. To identify and evaluate the administrative challenges and transparency issues associated with the implementation of SIR, particularly in socio-politically sensitive regions.
6. Methodology

In this study the researchers have adopted a descriptive and analytical research design, employing a mixed method approach that includes both Qualitative and Quantitative tools to assess the political situation arising due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission in Bihar. The research focuses on exploring political narratives, public perceptions, and media framing to understand how an administrative process became a politically charged issue in the state. Adopting this research approach is quite helpful to provide an objective as well as statistical findings about the PR Tools used during Bihar Assembly Election with special reference to political situation arising due to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted in Bihar. According to Rea and Parker’s 1992 publication Designing and Conducting Survey Research: A Comprehensive Guide, a social sciences survey is a practical, step-by-step method for conducting sample survey research. As per the book, the survey method allows the researchers to study a small, representative portion of a population and then generalize the findings to the larger population. In general, a survey is a research method that involves collecting data from a specific group of people to describe their opinions, experiences, or behaviors. The researchers have used the interview technique to collect the relevant data from the participants, also in order to ensure each respondent get an equal chance of selection the random sampling technique is used in the study. In this study a total of 100 samples received from the respondents based on questionnaires have been selected, as said by Rea and Parker, 1992, “this number of adequate to provide meaningful and statistically significant results.” In place of face-to-face personal interview, a detailed, well-structured research questionnaire were circulated among the participants electronically. For this research the questionnaires were randomly distributed among the citizens of Bihar residing in different districts of the state. The survey was online so it is believed that youth have more actively participated and answered the questions related to SIR. The researchers in the study have carefully designed the questionnaires, including both closed-ended as well as open-ended questions. For a better result from the research the ideas as given by Wade M. Vagias [10] has been adopted along with the development rating scale based on Likert-Type Scale Response Anchors on the themes to record the responses. Further, similar themes have been categorized and analysed followed by their presentation with the help of pie charts. Also, the chi-square test is used in order to determine whether there is any significant relationship between the two categorial variables. With the help of chi-square test, the observed frequencies are further compared in each of the category to the frequencies in order to find an expected correlation between the variables. In addition to these, in the study the results are presented with the use of tabulation which indicates the p-value and the probability of the observed difference. In the research it is detected that a low p-value (typically < 0.05) indicating the observed association is statistically quite significant. At the final conclusion, chi-square test has been utilized to test the results and it presented through tabulation.

A.        Primary Data:

• Structured Interviews: Conducted with electoral officials, political party representatives (from both ruling and opposition parties), and journalists covering the SIR process in Bihar.
• Questionnaire Surveys: Distributed to a random sample of voters across selected districts in Bihar to gather opinions on the fairness, awareness, and impact of SIR on their voting rights.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Held in urban and rural localities to assess community-level understanding and reactions to the SIR exercise.

B.        Secondary Data:

• Official Reports & Notifications: Collected from the Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar regarding the guidelines, schedules, and outcomes of the SIR.
• News Reports & Editorials: Analyzed from local newspapers and TV news channels to understand media portrayal and its influence on public and political discourse.
• Academic Articles & Government Documents: Reviewed to support the theoretical foundation and provide comparative insights into similar electoral exercises in other states.

Further for the primary data, the researchers have created a focus group wherein participants from all the district of Bihar were invited and requested to respond through Google-form based questionnaire that included both qualitative as well as qualitative questions. Researchers have also taken care of gender while considering the responses of respondents. The focus group was open to all the participants but researchers have considered first 50 responses by male and first 50 responses by female respondents. The collected responses were further tabulated and analyses with the help of SPSS. And, on the basis of the results drawn further discussion and conclusion have been made.

• Data Interpretation and Analysis

The data collected through the online survey done among the citizen of Bihar regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission in Bihar as presented below with the help of figure (from Figure 1 to Figure 15) is being analysed for a better understanding the extensive process. The questionnaires were framed keeping in mind the important factors directly or indirectly related to SIR and its outcome. The survey questions were based on themes like the PR campaigns run by the political parties for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections, PR tools used by the Election commission, does the PR campaigns influence the voting decision of the participants, awareness about Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the efficacy of BLO in explaining the SIR process to voters, etc.

Awareness about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll conducted by Election Commission of India

Figure 3 indicates that majority of the respondents know about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI). A whopping 89.4% of the respondents are having the knowledge about the SIR, while 10.6% of the respondents don’t know about the same. 

Mode of Communication / PR tools from where the respondents came to know about SIR

Figure 4 reveals that the respondents came to know about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar through various communication medium. 42.3% of the respondents got to know about the SIR through Government Advertisement in Newspaper, Television, Radio, etc., 54.85 respondents got the information from Social Media Platforms, through Word of Mouth (while talking with someone) 25% respondents got the information, 29.8% through Newspaper reports, 24% through TV News report, 25% through Political Party Campaigns and 25% through Booth Level Officer (BLO). The figure clearly depicts that the respondents have got the information from more than one communication medium. 

Effectiveness of Booth Level Officer (BLO) in explaining the SIR process to respondents

Figure 5 depicts that 59.6% of the respondents feel that the Booth Level Officer (BLO) has effectively explained the SIR process in detail to them. However, 40.4% respondents feel that they were not explained about the SIR by the concerned BLO. Hence, it is clear from the figure that the BLO lagged behind in making all the voters aware about the SIR process.

Understanding about the SIR process and its purpose

According to figure 6 a significant percentage of respondents 80.8% have understanding about the SIR process and its purpose, while 19.2% respondents still unaware about the SIR process and its purpose.

Issues related to Name deletion or incorrect details in the SIR process

Figure 7 depicts the issues faced by the respondents and their family members during the SIR process including name deletion and incorrect details. Based on the input of the respondents it is found that 32.7% faced such issues, while 69.2% didn’t come across the issues like name deletion and incorrect details.

Perception about the fairness of SIR process

As per the figure 8 a majority of the respondents with the percentage of 65.4% said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission in Bihar is not fair and biased, while 34.6% respondents find the SIR process OK.

PR tools used by the ECI, clarified or confused the public about the SIR process

Figure 9 reveals that 56.7% respondents found the PR tools used by the ECI confused the public, while 20.2% said that the PR tools clearly delivered the message and serve to the purpose of SIR. 17.3% respondents said that the PR tools didn’t make any impact, while 11.5% are not sure about the efficacy of PR tools used by the ECI.

Impact of the SIR in the final voting decisions of the voters in upcoming election of Bihar

According to Figure 10 the SIR process in Bihar is going to make an impact in the final voting decisions of the voters in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar. 64.4% respondents said that the SIR has made an impact into the perception of voters and their voting decisions may change at the time of polling in the upcoming elections. 22.2% said that the SIR process is not going to make any influence over the voting decisions, while 17.3% said that they are not sure about the impact of SIR in the minds and choice of voting among voters.

• Results and Discussions

The findings of the study reveal that the majority of respondents were aware of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll conducted by the Election Commission of India in Bihar. Respondents received information regarding the SIR process through multiple communication channels, particularly social media platforms and government-sponsored advertisements disseminated through newspapers, television, and radio. The study further indicates that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were unable to fully satisfy voters’ expectations in clearly explaining the procedures and objectives of the SIR process. Although some respondents and their family members encountered problems such as deletion of names and incorrect voter details, nearly 70% reported no such issues, suggesting that the ECI’s revision exercise was largely effective. However, a significant proportion of respondents questioned the timing and intention behind conducting the SIR just before the upcoming elections, and many perceived the process as partially biased and lacking complete fairness.

• Majority of the respondents know about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• The respondents came to know about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar through various communication medium. Most of the respondents knew about the SIR through leading Social Media platforms, and Government run advertisement campaigns in Newspaper, Television, Radio, etc., The respondents got the information from more than one communication medium.
• The study reveals that the Booth Level Officer (BLO) couldn’t fully meet the expectations of voters in explaining the SIR process in detail to them.
• The respondents and their family members faced issues during the SIR process including name deletion and incorrect details. However, around 70% didn’t come across the issues like name deletion and incorrect details that indicates the significant exercise done by the ECI through SIR.
• Majority of the respondents questioned the intention of the ECI in conducting the SIR in Bihar just before upcoming elections. The respondents have the opinion that the SIR conducted by the ECI was not completely fair and biased.

Despite a few drawbacks and doubts about the intention of ECI to conduct the SIR, the respondents feel that the SIR process in Bihar is going to make an impact in the final voting decisions of the voters in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar.

• Conclusion

The Chi-square test done on survey responses across various Hypothesis reveal a significant statistical correlation between different variables and signify strong relationships in most of the instances. The study aimed to assess the efficacy of PR Tools Used During Bihar Assembly Election with Special Reference to Political Situation Arising Due to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Public Relation (PR) campaigns run by the ECI for SIR in Bihar with the use of various PR tools succeeded in achieving its goal as majority of the voters as well as common public got to known about the whole exercise. Although the intention of the ECI for conducting the SIR in Bihar just before upcoming elections is questioned, it is observed in the study that the SIR process is going to make an impact in the final voting decisions of the voters in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar. The study advocates for further investigation as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was done by the Election Commission of India in time-bound manner in a very short period of time just before the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Such massive exercise like SIR may be done in planned manner by giving a significant time to the voters for a better outcome and avoiding the lapses in the part of ECI officials, BLOs and other related stakeholders. The study indicates that with such corrective measures and judicious use of PR tools for reaching the last man in the queue the desired results of PR campaigns with efficacy may be achieved. The ECI may achieve its goal more efficiently with minimum complaints / grievances of the voters and common public. This in turn may also clear the doubts of the targeted people i.e. voters and improve the public perception about the Election Commission of India, the constitutional body of India, and people may give their full cooperation in smooth conduct of future Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

References

[1] Election Commission of India, Press Release, 01st August, 2025:  https://www.eci.gov.in/eci-backend/public/api/download?url=LMAhAK6sOPBp%2FNFF0iRfXbEB1EVSLT41NNLRjYNJJP1KivrUxbfqkDatmHy12e%2Fzznw5Qtyss%2B8ILdni0Z0RBAkwVPAdy67ySd4dS2SdwaNNq0p8WWXDoViUeHPyzG9HgKdCmUSHqA1uyd%2BQgGswdQ%3D%3D

[2] PIB Press Release, https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=2142756

[3] Jha, M. K., & Choubey, K. N. (Eds.). (2024). Indian politics and political processes: Ideas, institutions and practices. Routledge India.

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[5] Mehta, P. B. (2017). Institutional credibility and democratic consolidation in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 52(4), 12–17.

[6] Kumar, P. (2018). Voter registration and exclusion: Case studies from Bihar. Journal of Democratic Processes, 8(3), 23–39.

[7] Palshikar, S. (2019). Electoral integrity and the role of Election Commission in India. South Asian Journal of Political Science, 14(1), 101–118.

[8] Alam, M. M. (2021). Electoral behavior and political dynamics in Bihar: A socio-political analysis. Indian Journal of Political Studies, 35(2), 45–61.

[9] Chaudhary, R. (2022). Media narratives during electoral reforms in Bihar: A content analysis. Journal of Media and Politics, 10(1), 56–74.

[10] Vagias, W. M. (2006). Likert-type scale response anchors. clemson international institute for tourism. & Research Development, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, 4(5).