As Bihar gears up for its 2025 assembly elections, the Election Commission’s voter list revision campaign is in full swing. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting door-to-door verification for nearly 7.90 crore voters. However, startling figures emerging from Seemanchal, a sensitive region bordering Nepal, have raised fresh alarms about illegal infiltration.
According to reports (News18), the Kishanganj district alone witnessed over 2 lakh applications for permanent residence certificates in just the first week of July 2025, while Muzaffarpur saw close to 1 lakh such applications. Local administration officials suggest many of these are suspicious, often backed by unverifiable documents.
Deputy CM flags concern over Bangladeshi, Rohingya influx
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, addressing the issue, acknowledged it as a serious challenge for state and central investigative agencies. “The presence of Bangladeshi and Rohingya intruders in Seemanchal is not new,” Chaudhary said, adding, “These individuals are attempting to secure permanent certificates through fraudulent means to enter the voter list.”
He also asserted that the government is committed to preventing any such infiltration:
“Our government will not allow any intruder to take Bihar’s citizenship.”
Old Problem, New Numbers
Concerns about infiltration in Bihar are not a recent phenomenon. Back in 2019, India’s Home Ministry estimated there were around 10 lakh illegal immigrants in Bihar, primarily settled in Seemanchal. Intelligence agencies have continually warned that Bangladeshis and Rohingyas cross into Bihar through Nepal, often equipped with fake Aadhaar cards and residence proofs to get on the voter rolls.
The recent arrest of Bangladeshi national Syed Iqbal at the Raxaul border has again highlighted these vulnerabilities.
Administrative Tightening and Political tug-of-war
Amid this surge, administrative teams have intensified verification of these suspicious applications. Officials are meticulously reviewing Aadhaar and supporting documents to identify and weed out potential fraudulent claims.
This development, however, has taken on political colours. Parties in Bihar’s ruling NDA alliance (BJP & JDU) have showcased this as proof of their strict stance against infiltration. Meanwhile, opposition parties like the RJD and the Grand Alliance accuse them of politicising the issue.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav went as far as alleging that the ongoing voter verification drive is an attempt to disenfranchise millions of legitimate voters. His party, along with Congress, has called for a Bihar bandh, seeking to halt the electoral revision work, an exercise being carried out on such a scale for the first time since 2005.
Larger Security Implications
Given past intelligence inputs and continuing ground reports, the administration is treading cautiously. Experts believe that unchecked infiltration poses not just a demographic challenge but also security risks, especially if fraudulent documentation allows foreign nationals to participate in democratic processes.
This renewed spike in residence applications amid the revision drive underscores why constant vigilance on infiltration, particularly through porous international borders, remains critical for Bihar and India as a whole.