Bihar Polls: BJP Requests Election Commission For Thorough Check Of Burqa-Clad Voters

Last Updated:October 05, 2025, 04:32 IST

The opposition RJD immediately criticised the move, terming it a 'political conspiracy' and an attempt to push the BJP's own communal agenda

Verification of veiled voters has been a point of contention in several Indian elections, with the core issue being the need to balance electoral integrity with respect for religious and cultural practices. (Representational image/News18 Hindi)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formally requested the Election Commission of India (EC) to ensure a stringent verification process for women in burqas at polling stations during the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. 

State BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal, after a meeting with the EC team in Patna, stated that “tallying of faces of voters, especially burqa-clad women, must be ensured with respective EPIC cards so that only genuine voters get to exercise their franchise."

This request is framed by the BJP as a necessary step to curb potential bogus or fraudulent voting. It comes ahead of the state polls, which are expected to be held in late 2025, as the current assembly’s term expires on November 22. 

Verification of veiled voters has been a point of contention in several Indian elections, with the core issue being the need to balance electoral integrity with respect for religious and cultural practices. Historically, the Election Commission’s unwritten guidelines often involve female polling staff verifying the identity of veiled women in a private enclosure, an established procedure in India.

The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) immediately criticised the move, terming it a “political conspiracy" and an attempt to push the BJP’s own communal agenda. RJD Lok Sabha lawmaker Abhay Kushwaha argued that the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which includes fresh photographs for new EPIC cards, should make identification “no big deal". The RJD also used the meeting to raise concerns over the recent deletion of 3.66 lakh names from the final electoral roll and urged the EC to disclose details, alleging the SIR may have been carried out to benefit the BJP-led NDA.

The burqa issue has previously surfaced in elections, including the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where a BJP candidate was briefly involved in a controversy over checking the identity of veiled voters at a polling booth, underscoring its potential to become a flashpoint.

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