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The Hindu
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bihar Voter List 2025: Who's Being Left Off and Why?
Published : Jul 23, 2025 06:36 IST - 12 MINS READ 'Sab sang basiye, sab sang rasiye, sabka lijiye naam, haanji, haanji kahte rahiye, aaithiye apna thaam '(Live and celebrate among all, take everyone's name, keep saying yes, but stay in your place). This couplet quoted by Kranti Devi of the Mahadalit locality of Gehlore village in Gaya district sums up the political mood in election-bound Bihar where a debate is raging over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The Election Commission of India's (ECI) flip-flops on the verification exercise—from initially insisting on at least 1 of 11 listed documents to later saying that even those without any documents could apply and furnish them later—have only fuelled the opposition's protest campaigns, which included a march to the ECI's office and a Bihar-wide bandh. The exasperation of the villagers was evident in Gaya, Jehanabad, and Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituencies of the Magadh region, which is a crucible of Bihar's caste politics. Whether Mahkar, the village where Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi hails from, or Gehlore, the village of the late 'Mountain Man' Dashrath Manjhi, or Matua and Mishribigha in Gurua block, the common refrain was this: 'If Aadhaar is not valid, then what else is? None of us have even 1 of the 11 documents initially demanded by the Election Commission.' Further compounding the issue, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are reportedly providing only one copy of the SIR form and not issuing receipts upon submission. This leaves ordinary voters without any proof of submission, a critical vulnerability if their names are later disputed. Or deleted. Also Read | Out of State, out of rolls? Much water has flowed down the Ganges since the ECI wrote the 19-page letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar about July 1 being the qualifying date for the SIR. While the two-page enumeration form to be filled in is very much the same, there have been conflicting instructions about another two-page declaration form, which includes an 'indicative' list of 11 documents that can be submitted in support of the declaration. These 11 documents are passport, matriculation/educational certificate, Permanent Residence Certificate issued by the competent State authority, Forest Rights Certificate, SC/ST certificate, National Register of Citizens (or NRC, wherever it exists), Family Register, pension payment order issued to any regular government employee or pensioner, any certificate issued by local authorities, banks, post offices, etc. prior to July 1, 1987, birth certificate, and any land/house allotment certificate issued by the government. Aadhaar, ration cards, voter identity cards issued by the ECI (the Elector Photo Identity Card, or EPIC), and PAN cards—all the otherwise most valued papers for an Indian—are not among the 11 documents. EC flip-flops increase confusion As it soon became evident that the majority of voters had only Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter ID cards and as the issue snowballed into a major controversy, the Chief Electoral Officer of the State issued front-page advertisements in Patna newspapers on July 6 urging voters to submit their SIR forms even if they did not have the requisite supporting documents. But the ECI later declared that there was no change in its June 24 order, and asked those who had not submitted documents to do so by July 25. On July 10, days after INDIA bloc leaders met Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer and demanded the inclusion of Aadhaar, ration cards, and MGNREGA job cards in the list of documents to be submitted with the enumeration form, the Supreme Court also asked the ECI to consider Aadhaar card, EPIC, and ration card as proof for voter registration—'in the interest of justice'. On July 15, the State's Chief Electoral Officer issued another front-page advertisement in Delhi newspapers asking Bihar's migrant voters to submit enumeration forms online through mobile phones. For good measure, the advertisement added: 'If you make available the required documents, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will find it easier to process the application. If you cannot provide the required documents, the decision will have to be taken through local investigation by the ERO or on the basis of evidence of other documents.' Meanwhile, the message that has percolated down to the villages is that there is no need to submit the documents along with the enumeration form for inclusion in the voter list. Arvind Kumar Paswan from Mishri Bigha, Ramashish Kumar from Matua, and Nagendra Yadav from Bhaluhar village in Gurua block of the Aurangabad parliamentary seat told Frontline that they had not submitted any documents with their forms because 'there is no demand for any of them now'. That Aadhaar, in particular, is not among the supporting documents has led to major consternation. This writer came across a number of voters who said they were submitting their Aadhaar with the SIR forms because that was the only document they could produce to prove their identity. Often, Aadhaar is also the document cited as proof of date of birth. Many of the villagers pointed out that documents such as SC/ST certificate, Forest Rights Certificate, and Permanent Resident Certificate (or domicile certificates) do not display the date or place of birth. In fact, the domicile certificate is issued only on the basis of Aadhaar cards in most cases. As for the NRC and Family Register, these do not exist in Bihar. Sintoo Kumar, a taxi operator from Darachak village in Kujap of Gaya district, said most of the 300-odd residents of his village had filled in their enumeration forms with just a photograph and Aadhaar number while those with a formal education (like himself) had submitted copies of matriculation certificates. He said: 'Nobody is asking for any document now. But the process was painful a while ago. If they insist on these documents, many people will lose their voting rights. We are Yadavs, we vote for the RJD [Rashtriya Janata Dal]. This voter list issue is not going to affect anyone's support pattern. People will vote for the parties they voted for earlier.' Manoj Sharma, a carpenter from Ahiyapur village in Gaya district, said he filled in his voter enumeration form with Aadhaar although his wife had gone to her parents' home to 'get some documents'. Residents of Jitan Ram Manjhi's village, Mahkar, said that nobody there had any of the 11 documents. 'Who will have a passport here? May be mantriji has one,' one of them said. Speaking in Magahi, his mother tongue, the 56-year-old Ramanuj Sharma said: 'We do not have any of those documents. Are we so active?' The only English word he used was 'active'. He was trying to say that the village way of life did not provide any scope to acquire documents like passports. Arvind Kumar, whose wife Manju Devi is a BLO, said: 'Now villagers are filling in the enumeration forms without submitting any documents. The few educated ones are filling their forms themselves. We are helping the rest.' Most villagers in Mahkar have submitted their forms to the BLO with only their signatures on it, and even the signature is missing in some cases. Another significant hurdle is the unreliable Internet connectivity in rural Bihar. 'Internet network is available in these villages from 1 am to 3 am. If we wake up at that late hour to upload the forms, who will work in the fields?' a young man from the village asked this writer. In many villages, one BLO is required to upload 1,100 or 1,200 forms. Now, BLOs have been told they can return to the block office to upload the forms. 'Such an exercise requires much more time for proper execution than what has been allowed—it needs at least three months. The BLO has not even been given the 2003 voter list so far,' said another young villager. 'People have Aadhaar, ration card and some even have PAN. Caste certificates and domicile certificates are procured by a few but only when the need arises. Most villagers don't have these. Why aren't they accepting Aadhaar?' asked Subodh from Makhdumpur Sapneri tola in Hathiyama panchayat of Khijarsarai district. In Saidpur Bhuian tola, the BLO was a bit guarded but admitted that 'now we are not seeking any document'. Rabari Kumari, a resident of Saidpur village, said: 'Earlier I was asked to provide my mother's voter card. Later, the BLO said there was no need for documents. I have just signed the form and given it to him.' Balchanda Manjhi and Nanhe Yadav from the village said that they had only given their Aadhaar number in the form. Tarkeshwar Paswan said that he did not submit any document with his form. None of them was aware that a document would eventually be demanded on the date announced. In Gehlore village, the SIR exercise is proceeding at snail's pace. A poignant wave of defiance ripples through the crowd when the villagers are told their names could be struck off the voter list if they did not submit documents. Naresh Yadav, 65, said he had never seen an election like this one, but Ram Swaroop Manjhi, the caretaker priest at the samadhi of Dashrath Manjhi, and Maheshwar Paswan said they were asked only for their Aadhaar cards. Kirish Manjhi, hardly out of his teens, said he and many others from the village work in brick kilns and factories in Varanasi, Allahabad (Prayagraj), Ghaziabad, and Chennai. Most return home at this time of the year, before the sowing season starts. 'We have returned as the rains have come. We will go back only after casting our vote. Most of us working outside have Aadhaar and voter card with our village address. There is no question of not voting,' said Vikas Ravidas, who works in a hotel in Chennai. Shivratan Ram from Sondhra village in Gehlore panchayat area echoed him: 'I will definitely cast my vote.' Different anxieties Literacy is low in villages in the foothills, like Khajuri, and people struggle with basic issues of livelihood. Exercises such as this one do not make much sense to them. In the posh Muslim-dominated locality called White House Compound, the concern was at another level. Speaking to Frontline, one resident said that as soon as the ECI issued a press note on June 24 announcing the SIR, an office-bearer of the White House Mosque Committee hurriedly downloaded the 2003 voter list and circulated it among the local residents via WhatsApp. Abdul Qadir, an academic, explained why Muslims were anxious: 'There is an underlying fear that the exercise will not stop at just deletions from the voter list. What if this becomes a tool for selective harassment? Why reject Aadhaar, a document on which it is written 'Mera Aadhaar, Meri Pehchan' [My Aadhaar is my identity]. Although SIR forms are now being accepted without any of the 11 documents specified earlier, a lot of discretionary power being given to a low-ranked officials, such as Electoral Registration Officers, raises concerns about possible malpractice. It is dangerous. When forms are uploaded without documents, EROs can decide to delete names from voters list selectively.' S.M. Farhad, a social activist based in New Karimganj, said the BJP was trying to create an impression that the opposition was backing illegal immigrants. 'We are vigilant and filling in our enumeration forms. Many of us have passports,' he said. Some villagers in Mahkar, such as Mithilesh Yadav, Binda Yadav, and Satyendra Kumar Yadav, were bemused about the rumours over illegal immigrants having become voters. They asked this reporter: 'How will outsiders go unnoticed in this village? This may be a problem in cities. But in a village, everyone knows everybody else. Which Bangladeshi or Rohingya Muslim will come here to settle?' Also Read | Bihar's Special Intensive Revision puts 2.93 crore voters at risk of exclusion Talking to Frontline, Rajya Sabha Member Manoj Kumar Jha of the RJD said the ECI had repeatedly changed its stance. 'We had cautioned the Election Commission before moving the Supreme Court. The ECI knows that 20 per cent of the people from Bihar reside outside the State. In dealing with these people, it should be kept in mind that Bihar is the most document-deficient State. A huge majority of the people don't have all these documents. The timeline is pressing. That's why we moved the court. The honourable court gave a direction to the Election Commission that in order to maximise inclusion and minimise chaos, Aadhaar card, EPIC voter ID card, and ration card must be taken into account. But, so far, we have not seen any official confirmation or direction from the Election Commission. This adds to the worry, not only for political parties but for common citizens.' Shakeel Ahmad, former Minister of State (Home Affairs) in the earlier United Progressive Alliance government told Frontline: 'The timing and timeline of this revision is deeply concerning. This one-month deadline will add pressure to the already overburdened BLOs to verify and update voter data on the ground. It will exponentially increase the possibility of errors and affect the accuracy of electoral rolls. This revision can also leave genuine voters out of the list. Marginalised and rural communities with scant access to documentation may end up getting disenfranchised. Trying to push through such a massive exercise within a month is unthinkable. Now, it is incumbent upon the ECI to recall its decision completely and postpone it for after Assembly elections.' Clearly, the ECI and the State administration will face a major challenge on voting day as a crucial democratic exercise risks being undermined by a baffling administrative decision and a profound lack of clarity on the ground, which has left ample room for suspicions.
Economic Times
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Panchayat actor abused for her role: Sunita Rajwar played a villain so well it sparked real-world outrage
Synopsis Sunita Rajwar, who plays Kranti Devi in Panchayat Season 4, has been receiving abusive messages online after a controversial scene where her character insults a pregnant woman, Khushboo. While some viewers praised her powerful performance, others reacted emotionally, sending her hate on social media. Rajwar said the backlash only confirmed she played her negative role convincingly and shared that she and her husband laughed at how invested viewers became in the fictional drama. Sunita Rajwar as Kranti Devi in Panchayat Sunita Rajwar, known for her impactful portrayal of Kranti Devi in Amazon Prime Video's Panchayat, has found herself at the centre of an unexpected controversy following the release of the show's fourth season. While her performance as a sharp-tongued political rival brought her critical acclaim, a particular scene sparked online backlash, leading to an outpouring of hateful messages on social Season 4, Panchayat intensifies its focus on village politics, and Kranti Devi's character becomes more aggressive amid election tensions. A scene involving a heated exchange between Kranti Devi and the pregnant Khushboo (played by Tripti Sahu) caught the audience's attention for all the wrong reasons. As epr Hindustan Times, viewers took offence at Kranti Devi's harsh remarks during the altercation, which questioned Khushboo's relationship with another male character, Prahlad (Faisal Malik). Although the character's actions were part of the storyline, many viewers reacted emotionally, flooding Rajwar's Instagram inbox with abusive messages and criticism. The actress shared that the backlash ranged from verbal abuse to angry accusations, with some questioning how she could speak so cruelly to a pregnant woman—even though it was entirely the negativity, Rajwar has chosen to look at the situation from a different perspective. She said that the public's intense reactions actually confirmed how convincingly she had played her role. For her, the abuse is not discouraging; instead, it serves as a marker of her performance's admitted that the volume of emotional engagement surprised her, especially as fans often compliment her for her other roles, like the beloved neighbour in Gullak. She and her husband have found humour in the situation, laughing at how deeply people have connected with the fictional village of Phulera and its characters. She even mentioned plans to make a social media reel highlighting some of the dramatic the backlash a 'medal,' Rajwar said it has only reaffirmed her confidence as an actor. She also acknowledged that her character's remarks were in retaliation to prior comments made by Manju Devi (played by Neena Gupta) in the same scene, suggesting that the moment was emotionally charged on both sides.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Panchayat actor abused for her role: Sunita Rajwar played a villain so well it sparked real-world outrage
Sunita Rajwar , known for her impactful portrayal of Kranti Devi in Amazon Prime Video's Panchayat, has found herself at the centre of an unexpected controversy following the release of the show's fourth season. While her performance as a sharp-tongued political rival brought her critical acclaim, a particular scene sparked online backlash, leading to an outpouring of hateful messages on social media. In Season 4, Panchayat intensifies its focus on village politics, and Kranti Devi's character becomes more aggressive amid election tensions. A scene involving a heated exchange between Kranti Devi and the pregnant Khushboo (played by Tripti Sahu) caught the audience's attention for all the wrong reasons. As epr Hindustan Times, viewers took offence at Kranti Devi's harsh remarks during the altercation, which questioned Khushboo's relationship with another male character, Prahlad (Faisal Malik). Actor Targeted for Fictional Role Although the character's actions were part of the storyline, many viewers reacted emotionally, flooding Rajwar's Instagram inbox with abusive messages and criticism. The actress shared that the backlash ranged from verbal abuse to angry accusations, with some questioning how she could speak so cruelly to a pregnant woman—even though it was entirely scripted. Despite the negativity, Rajwar has chosen to look at the situation from a different perspective. She said that the public's intense reactions actually confirmed how convincingly she had played her role. For her, the abuse is not discouraging; instead, it serves as a marker of her performance's authenticity. Turning Hate Into Humour and Strength Rajwar admitted that the volume of emotional engagement surprised her, especially as fans often compliment her for her other roles, like the beloved neighbour in Gullak. She and her husband have found humour in the situation, laughing at how deeply people have connected with the fictional village of Phulera and its characters. She even mentioned plans to make a social media reel highlighting some of the dramatic reactions. Calling the backlash a 'medal,' Rajwar said it has only reaffirmed her confidence as an actor. She also acknowledged that her character's remarks were in retaliation to prior comments made by Manju Devi (played by Neena Gupta) in the same scene, suggesting that the moment was emotionally charged on both sides.
India Today
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Sunita Rajwar addresses criticism over Panchayat season 4 scene
Actor Sunita Rajwar, known as Kranti Devi in the popular series Panchayat, responded to the criticism coming her way for a particular scene in season 4 in a recent interview. The controversy stems from a scene where Rajwar's character, Kranti Devi, makes disparaging remarks towards a pregnant character, Khushboo, portrayed by Tripti an interview with Hindustan Times, Rajwar acknowledged the public's reaction. She said, "Mujhe log bahut buri-buri gaaliyan de rahe gain (People are giving me bad abuses), saying: How could you make such nasty comments to a pregnant Khushboo?"advertisementDespite the negative comments, Rajwar maintains a positive outlook. "Koi kos raha hai, koi bad-dua de raha hai. (Someone is cursing. Some is giving bad omen) On the one hand, they're congratulating me for becoming the Pradhan in the show. On the other, they're cursing me for that comment," she remarked. Rajwar shared that she took time to personally respond to several comments. The 55-year-old shared that she "replied to most of them.""My husband and I were reading the messages and laughing about how innocently people get so involved in a show, despite knowing its fake," she also contemplated creating a social media reel based on these comments and expressed that the hate is testament to the fact that she did her job well. "Later, I am thinking of making a reel based on these comments. Such things are a medal for me as it gives me the confidence that I was able to play my role convincingly," she expressedShe elaborated on her character's response and added, "See, in the show Manju Devi (Neena Gupta) also makes comments on my character liking me with the MLA. In anger, I too do the same," she concluded by saying that although she understands the negative perception of her character's retaliation, she does not personally justify 4 of Panchayat is currently streaming on Prime Video.- Ends
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Panchayat Season 4': Sunita Rajwar faces backlash as Instagram inbox flooded with abuse over pregnant Khushboo comment
, who appears in the fourth season of ' Panchayat ', has been widely praised for her acting. However, she has also faced criticism and backlash for a particular scene in the show, leading to mixed reactions from the audience. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Harsh criticism over the controversial scene As reported by Hindustan Times, Sunita shared that she has been getting a lot of harsh criticism from viewers for a particular scene in 'Panchayat'. She explained, 'Mujhe log bahut buri-buri gaaliyan de rahe hain, saying: 'How could you make such nasty comments to a pregnant ?'' The scene shows her character, Kranti Devi, clashing with Khushboo, played by . It also involves deputy pradhan Prahlad Cha, played by Faisal Malik, who acts like a father figure in the story. Finding confidence amid backlash Even though she has received a lot of negative feedback, Sunita feels satisfied because it proves she performed her role well. She shared, 'Koi kos raha hai, koi bad-dua de raha hai… On one hand, they're congratulating me for becoming the pradhan in the show, and on the other, they're cursing me for that comment. My Insta inbox is filled with abuses. But, it has boosted my confidence as I feel I played my part convincingly.' Sunita also said that she has 'even replied to most of them.' Embracing the audience's emotional investment Sunita revealed that although she has often been lovingly called the 'irritating yet cute padosi' for her role in 'Gullak', these unexpected negative reactions have taken her by surprise. She says she is actually 'enjoying the hate.' Talking about the responses, she mentioned, 'My husband and I were reading the messages and laughing about how innocently people get so involved in a show, despite knowing it's fake.' Sunita is even planning to make a reel inspired by these comments. She called such reactions a 'medal' that boosts her confidence, as it shows she portrayed her character convincingly.
