Leaders of the INDIA bloc will stage a protest at Parliament’s Makar Dwar on Monday at 10:30 AM against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
On July 25, several opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha submitted Suspension of Business notices, demanding a discussion on the SIR issue during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Lok Sabha on Monday is set to discuss key legislations, including a high-stakes special discussion on ‘Operation Sindoor’, India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
After an opening week marked by adjournments, the lower house is expected to discuss the country’s strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor, as per the business notice issued by the Lok Sabha.
The first week of the Monsoon Session saw major disruptions, including the surprise resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to initiate the discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha. Sources say Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Nishikant Dubey are also expected to participate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to intervene in the Lok Sabha debate and may also do so in the Rajya Sabha. The discussion in the Rajya Sabha is expected to begin on Tuesday.
Rajnath Singh and S. Jaishankar will also speak in the Rajya Sabha. TDP’s Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and GM Harish Balayogi will join the Lok Sabha debate. TDP has been allotted 30 minutes.
From the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav and Rajiv Rai will participate in the discussion.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the debate on Operation Sindoor will run for 16 hours in the Lok Sabha on July 28 and 16 hours in the Rajya Sabha on July 29.
“All issues cannot be discussed together,” Rijiju said.
“The opposition raised several issues like SIR in Bihar, but Operation Sindoor will be discussed first. Other issues will follow.”
Opposition parties have also sought clarification from the government regarding US President Donald Trump’s claims that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
The debate had been delayed due to PM Modi’s two-nation visit. The first week of the Monsoon Session was marred by repeated adjournments. Opposition MPs filed multiple adjournment motions and business suspension notices in both Houses.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Sunday that out of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar, over 7.24 crore submitted their enumeration forms under the SIR held from June 24 to July 25, reflecting a 91.69% participation rate.
The ECI described the SIR as a “massive and successful citizen participation effort”, aimed at enhancing the accuracy of electoral rolls ahead of the state elections.
The enumeration covered all 38 districts of Bihar. The ECI noted the crucial role of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Booth Level Agents (BLAs), volunteers, and party workers.
There was a 16% rise in BLAs, with dramatic increases by CPI(M) (1083%), Congress (105%), and CPI(ML) (542%). The BJP reported a 3% increase, while RJD and JD(U) had modest gains.
BLOs visited each registered elector’s residence, conducting at least three rounds of form distribution and collection. Special efforts targeted urban voters, first-time voters, and temporary migrants.
To reach migrants, a full-page Hindi advertisement was placed in 246 newspapers, and Bihar’s CEO wrote to all States and UTs seeking support. The ECI revealed that nearly 29 lakh forms were filled online or downloaded, with over 16 lakh submitted digitally.
The Draft Electoral Roll will be published on August 1, and claims and objections can be filed until September 1, 2025. EROs and AEROs have been deployed statewide for the scrutiny process.
The ECI confirmed that names will not be deleted from the rolls without a proper notice and written order from the ERO, following SIR guidelines.
The SIR exercise also revealed that approximately 35 lakh electors are either untraced or have permanently migrated from their registered addresses.
(With inputs from ANI)
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