The Election Commission’s special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has rolled out an 11‑point list of documents that first‑time applicants must show if their names were missing from the 2003 rolls.

Here are the 11 acceptable documents:

1. Birth certificate issued by a municipal body, panchayat or another government authority

2. Passport issued by the ministry of external affairs

3. Matriculation or higher‑education certificate from a recognised board or university

4. Government‑issued identity card or pension order (central/state/PSU)

5. Permanent residence (domicile) certificate from the district magistrate or similar authority

6. Forest‑rights certificate under the Forest Rights Act

7. Caste certificate (SC/ST/OBC) issued by a competent authority

8. NRC document (where applicable)

9. Family register issued by local bodies

10. Land or house‑allotment certificate from a government office

11. Government or PSU identity documents dated before 1987

Aadhaar, PAN and driving licences do not make the cut as standalone proof for this exercise.

Voters already listed in 2003, and their children, need no extra paperwork. For those without any of the 11 proofs, the electoral registration officer (ERO) can still step in with a field inquiry.

The SIR of electoral rolls and the associated paperwork has led to a fresh battle line in Bihar.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday led a Mahagathbandhan march to the state Election Commission office. Flanked by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(ML) Liberation’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI’s D. Raja and others, he accused the ruling camp of a “new method, an old conspiracy.”

“In Maharashtra, the mandate was stolen, now in Bihar, the right to vote – a new method, an old conspiracy. We will continue to expose these anti‑constitutional forces – together with the people and the youth, we will give a befitting reply,” Gandhi said.

The BJP has hit back.

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad asked whether the Opposition wanted “infiltrators” on the rolls. “Does the Opposition want the inclusion of infiltrators and others in the voter list? Is it not true that Rohingyas get their names registered in the voter list? They want to play their politics based on such illicit voters. This approach of theirs raises serious questions," he said.

The exercise is scheduled to wrap up before the state heads to assembly polls later this year.

On June 26, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had questioned the Election Commission's new electoral roll guidelines ahead of the Bihar Assembly election, likening it to the NRC process, saying it was aimed at politically targeting West Bengal, which will head to the polls next year.

"This is nothing short of a scam…this looks to be more dangerous than the NRC, which every political party in opposition must resist," she said. "Bihar is not a factor, as only 2.5 months are left for the polls. Other states, especially Bengal, are targeted. They want to capture using the commission and agencies," she said.