Bihar Voter Re-Registration Drive Sparks Fears of Muslim Disenfranchisement
India’s Election Commission (ECI) has ordered a “special intensive revision” of Bihar’s electoral rolls, requiring approximately 80 million registered electors to re-register by July 26. This directive, reported by Al Jazeera, has ignited fears of fundamental rights violations and the potential disenfranchisement of Muslim voters.
The ECI’s June 24 notification, aimed at removing “foreign illegal immigrants,” mandates that voters added after 2003 provide birth certificates or school records, with those born after 1987 also needing parental Indian citizenship proof. Crucially, common IDs like Aadhaar and voter ID are not accepted, forcing many poor and rural residents, especially in flood-prone areas, to scramble for potentially non-existent documentation.
Critics, including opposition leaders, label this a backdoor implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), arguing it disproportionately targets Muslim communities. On July 10, the Supreme Court acknowledged the “manifest risk of disenfranchisement” due to tight deadlines and inaccessible documentation, urging the ECI to accept alternative proofs, though it did not halt the exercise.
Opposition parties and civil-society groups have launched statewide strikes and petitions, contending that marginalized groups face the greatest hurdles, potentially shifting the electoral balance towards the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP leaders insist the revision is a neutral measure to ensure electoral integrity, with Home Minister Amit Shah stating it will be implemented “fairly across all communities.”
However, critics point to a pattern of BJP policies, like the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019, which they claim weaponize citizenship against Muslims. A similar NRC exercise in Assam excluded nearly 2 million people, heavily impacting Muslims. Reports from Bihar detail confusion and inconsistent ID acceptance, exacerbated by flooding.
This drive comes as Bihar prepares for a crucial assembly election early next year. The state’s Muslim, Dalit, and Other Backward Classes (OBC) populations have historically supported opposition parties. Analysts suggest a significant drop in minority voter turnout could reshape the political landscape in favor of the BJP-backed National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
With the Supreme Court resuming hearings on July 28, the focus remains on whether the ECI will amend its guidelines and extend the deadline. Millions in Bihar are verifying citizenship amid fears this administrative exercise could permanently silence large segments of the electorate and deepen communal divisions in India.
