Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held in the final months of this year. Ahead of the polls, the Election Commission is aiming to clean and update the state’s voter list. For this purpose, a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll is currently underway.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission shared information related to this process on its official X (formerly Twitter) account. The Commission reported that as of July 23, names of 98.01% voters have been covered under this revision process.
20 Lakh Deceased and 28 Lakh Migrated Voters Identified
The Commission revealed that during the course of this revision in Bihar, around 20 lakh (2 million) deceased voters have been identified. Additionally, 28 lakh (2.8 million) voters were found to have permanently migrated from their earlier registered addresses. Over 7 lakh voters were discovered to be registered in more than one location, and around 1 lakh voters were marked as ‘missing.’
The Election Commission also stated that approximately 15 lakh voters have yet to return their enumeration forms, which are essential for updating the voter rolls. So far, the Commission has received around 7.17 crore forms, covering approximately 90.89% of the total estimated electorate. These forms have also been digitized.
First Large-Scale Revision in 22 Years
This is the first time in 22 years that a revision of this magnitude is being conducted in Bihar. The aim is to make the voter list accurate, transparent, and clean, ensuring that only eligible citizens are included. Fake, duplicate, or non-existent names are being systematically removed.
The matter has also reached the Supreme Court, as some opposition parties have raised questions over the Election Commission’s June 24 directive, under which the SIR process was initiated in Bihar and planned to expand across the country.
Election Commission’s Response: A Step Towards Transparency
In its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the Election Commission stated that the entire process is legal and constitutional, aimed at removing ineligible entries from the voter list to ensure transparency in elections.
The Commission clarified that the intent is not to exclude any eligible voter, but to ensure accuracy. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been assigned to visit households and collect the enumeration forms. The Commission assured that the process is being carried out in a smooth, simple, and cooperative manner, and that no citizen needs to worry, as it is being conducted in full compliance with the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
This entire campaign is focused on ensuring that the upcoming elections are free and fair, based on a correct and updated voter list, so that every eligible citizen can exercise their right to vote.
