Ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission (EC) has conducted a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls—uncovering massive irregularities in the voter list. As per the EC’s findings, more than 64 lakh voter names are set to be deleted, sparking political uproar and allegations of bias from opposition parties.

Key Revelations from the Election Commission:

1. Massive Voter List Clean-Up Underway:

   • Out of Bihar’s total 7.89 crore voters, the Commission has received and digitized 7.23 crore voter verification forms (over 99.86% coverage).

   • The deadline for submitting forms was July 25, and the process began on June 24, 2025.

2. Breakdown of the 64 Lakh Voter Deletions:

   • 22 lakh voters found to be deceased.

   • 35 lakh voters have either permanently migrated or are untraceable.

   • 7 lakh voters are registered in multiple locations (duplications).

3. What Happens Next?

   • These deletions will be reflected in the draft electoral roll to be published on August 1, 2025.

   • Political parties have been given these preliminary lists for review and corrections since July 20.

   • From August 1 to September 1, claims and objections can be filed:

     • Eligible voters can request inclusion by filling a prescribed form.

     • Objections can be raised to challenge any ineligible entry.

4. Still Pending:

   • Forms for about 1.2 lakh voters are yet to be submitted or digitized. These will be handled by August 1.

5. Massive Coordination Effort:

   • SIR’s first phase involved:

     • 38 District Election Officers

     • 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs)

     • 77,895 polling stations

     • 1.60 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from 12 political parties

     • Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar and thousands of Booth Level Officers (BLOs)

Why the Opposition Is Protesting:

Opposition parties have alleged that:

• This mass deletion drive might disenfranchise voters from marginalized or migrant communities.

• The timing—so close to elections—may lead to manipulations or exclusions under the guise of "cleansing" the list.

Election Commission’s Clarification:

The EC maintains that:

• The process is transparent and non-partisan.

• All major parties were involved in the verification and review stages.

• The goal is to ensure a fair, accurate, and tamper-proof election.

Conclusion:

While the voter list clean-up aims to improve electoral integrity, the deletion of over 64 lakh names—roughly 8% of Bihar’s electorate—will likely remain a hot-button issue in the political lead-up to the elections.