Patna, Bihar – In a significant and controversial development, the Patna district administration on Saturday officially responded to the serious allegations raised by senior journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum, regarding irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls currently underway across Bihar.
Ajit Anjum has been running an independent investigative video series on his YouTube channel, shedding light on alleged flaws in the voter list revision process, a crucial component of election preparedness conducted periodically by the Election Commission of India.
His series has triggered intense political and social discussion, even as it appears to have unsettled sections of the local bureaucracy.
#ElectoralRolls #BiharVoterList #AjitAnjumInvestigation
Administration Seeks Specifics on Allegations
Reacting to Anjum’s latest video titled “‘SIR’ par Patna se bada khulasa: Voters se mile bagair jama ho gaya form”, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Patna district administration posted a response asking him to furnish specific names and polling booth numbers related to the allegations.
“About the video… they are informed to collect and provide us with the names of the related individuals and the polling station (booth) numbers shown in the video,” the post said.
“If the error is found to be true, it can be corrected with immediate effect during August.”
The administration added that corrections will also be possible during the extended claims and objections window that follows the publication of the draft electoral rolls on August 1. Citizens were encouraged to report any discrepancies along with verifiable details.
#VoterListCorrection #ElectionIntegrity
Anjum’s Findings: Forms Uploaded Without Voter Consent?
In the contested video report, Ajit Anjum directly engaged with voters in Patna who claimed to have never seen the SIR form, even though their forms had already been uploaded in the Election Commission’s system. This, Anjum argued, undermines the transparency of the electoral roll revision exercise.
His earlier video report, released on July 12, focused on alleged procedural lapses in the Sahebpur Kamal Assembly constituency in Begusarai district. The report highlighted instances of unsigned or incomplete voter forms being uploaded as valid submissions.
#VoterFraudAllegation #ElectoralTransparency
Begusarai District Reacts, FIR Filed Against Journalist
On July 13, just a day after Anjum’s first exposé, the Begusarai district administration issued a sharp rebuttal, labeling the video’s claims as “completely unfounded” and accusing the journalist of spreading misinformation.
Simultaneously, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) filed an FIR against Ajit Anjum, accusing him of multiple offenses, including:
-
Trespassing
-
Obstruction of a public servant
-
Disobedience of lawful order
-
Hurting religious sentiments
In addition to these criminal charges, sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951—a key law governing elections in India—have also been invoked.
#PressFreedom #FIRAgainstJournalist #RepresentationOfPeopleAct
Journalist Community and Civil Society Rally Behind Anjum
The FIR has sparked outrage among journalist associations, media watchdogs, and civil society groups, who view the action as an attempt to intimidate and suppress journalistic scrutiny.
Several prominent voices have demanded the immediate withdrawal of charges and a focus on investigating the actual content of Anjum’s reports.
#JournalismUnderThreat #MediaFreedom #DemocracyWatch
Ground Realities from the SIR Process: Key Data Points
As of Friday, official data from the Election Commission’s SIR process indicates that out of nearly 7.9 crore electors in Bihar, around 37 lakh voters—or 4.67%—were not found at their registered addresses by BLOs.
Additional findings include:
-
1.6% voters marked as “probably deceased”
-
2.3% as “probably shifted”
-
0.01% listed as untraceable
-
0.75% categorized as duplicate entries enrolled elsewhere
-
5.2% of voters reportedly have not returned their filled-out enumeration forms