Congress appoints 58 observers for upcoming Bihar assembly polls

The Congress party on Sunday named 58 observers for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the list of party leaders, appointing them as observers for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, scheduled to be held later this year, the party said in a statement posted on X.

Hon'ble Congress President Shri @kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of the following Party functionaries as AICC Observers for the ensuing assembly elections in Bihar, with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/c5Zn4ROO5O

— Congress (@INCIndia) June 29, 2025

Earlier, the Election Commission initiated its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to verify the eligibility of electors in each constituency ahead of Bihar elections, fulfilling its mandate under Article 326 of the Constitution, according to an official statement from the poll panel. "Article 326 specifies eligibility to become an elector. Only Indian citizens aged 18 years and above, and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible. Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with full participation of all Political Parties," the EC's statement read.Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar emphasized that the revision exercise aims to include all eligible citizens and exclude those who are ineligible or non-citizens. The EC dismissed allegations of manipulation and stated that the revision is a constitutional obligation under Article 326, which mandates universal adult suffrage.

Several opposition parties have voiced concerns that the revision could lead to targeted exclusion of voters using the state machinery. However, a senior EC official said that questioning the exercise amounts to challenging constitutional principles and called for transparency from those opposing it. As per EC guidelines-4.96 crore voters (around 60% of Bihar's electorate) whose names were in the 2003 electoral rolls will not need to submit supporting documents for date/place of birth. They only need to attach an extract from the 2003 roll. The remaining 3 crore voters (40%) must submit one of 11 accepted documents to verify their eligibility. If a voter’s parents were listed in the 2003 roll, they only need to provide their own proof of birth, not that of their parents.