Mumbai, July 7: In a sharp political standoff over Bihar's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has responded to claims made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, calling them "misleading." Kharge claimed the ECI will no longer ask for documents and voters can submit forms as part the voter list revision exercise. However, the ECI on Monday, July 7, said his claims are "misleading".

Kharge's remarks came after the ECI issued newspaper ads allowing forms to be submitted even without documents. The Congress chief claimed this was a reversal due to public pressure. Echoing the sentiment, journalist Ravish Kumar also criticised the Election Commission and questioned the transparency of the revision process. He stated that the EC had seemingly made a major policy change under pressure and demanded an audit of forms to assess fairness. Fact Check: Did Congress Distribute Sanitary Pads Featuring Rahul Gandhi's Image to Women in Bihar? Congress Debunks Fake Video Going Viral on Social Media.

EC Calls Mallikarjun Kharge's Voter List Claim Misleading

EC Fact-Checks Ravish Kumar, Says Documents Still Needed

Ravish questioned why the campaign wasn’t withdrawn entirely if its foundation was shaky and accused "Godi media" of ignoring the issue. According to him, the people of Bihar had exposed flaws in the EC’s approach and would continue to defend their voting rights. However, the Election Commission has fact-checked these posts. The ECI responded to these claims, terming them "misleading." Did Income Tax Department Send Email for E-PAN Download? Here’s What PIB Fact Check Says.

The EC clarified that there was no procedural change in the SIR guidelines. It reiterated that while submitting the filled enumeration form by July 25 is mandatory, supporting documents can be submitted later during the claims and objections period. The EC said Kharge’s claim that documents are "no longer required" was misleading. The Commission emphasised that the rules remain as per its June 24 order and are aimed at including, not excluding, genuine voters.

Fact check

Do Voters Not Need To Submit Required Documents To Ensure Their Names in Voters’ List During Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in Bihar? EC Fact-Checks Mallikarjun Kharge, Terms His Claims ‘Misleading’
Claim :

Voters in Bihar no longer need to submit required documents during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Conclusion :

The Election Commission clarified that while submitting the filled form by the deadline is mandatory, supporting documents can still be submitted later, and the claim that documents are not required is misleading.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 07, 2025 10:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).