PATNA, BIHAR – The Election Commission (EC) On Friday released important information from its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. It showed that more than 65 lakh voter enumeration forms were not included in the draft electoral lists. This thorough process has caused the number of registered voters in the state to drop by a lot, from 7.9 crore before the SIR to 7.24 crore on the new draft list.
The large gap of more than 65 lakh voters is due to a number of things, such as voters who have died, moved out of Bihar for good, or were “not found” at the locations they gave, or who were registered more than once (duplicates).
Patna, the state capital, has the most forms that aren’t included (3.95 lakh), followed by Madhubani (3.52 lakh), East Champaran (3.16 lakh), and Gopalganj (3.10 lakh).
The SIR effort was a big job that covered all 243 assembly constituencies and 90,817 polling places in Bihar.
The Election Commission gave a full breakdown of the 65 lakh non-included forms:
There are 22.34 lakh people who have been found to be dead.
36.28 lakh people have “permanently moved” out of the state or were “not found” at the addresses they gave during verification.
7.01 lakh people were found to have signed up at “more than one place,” which means they signed up more than once.
The draft voters’ roll for Bihar was released earlier today. You can now find it on the poll panel’s website and in all 38 districts of Bihar.
Opposition parties have strongly criticized this exercise and the drop in voter numbers that followed it. They say that the SIR is meant to help the ruling NDA win the Bihar Assembly elections, which are set to take place later this year (October–November 2025).
The Election Commission told news agency ANI earlier today that the 38 District Collectors would be sending out “Draft Electoral Rolls for Bihar” to all political parties at 11 AM today, August 1, 2025. These rolls cover all 243 assembly constituencies and 90,817 voting stations.
“Claims and Objections” Phase Started
Now that the draft data is public, a very important “claims and objections” phase has begun. It will last until September 1, 2025. During this time, voters who think their names were wrongfully erased or who need to make changes or add their names can go to the right authorities for help. The Election Commission has made it clear that no name will be removed without a “speaking order” and enough notice. They have also requested political parties to help voters check their information.
This is just a draft of the electoral list. The final list will only be revealed after the redressal phase is over, which is projected to happen by September 30, 2025. The Supreme Court has also been keeping an eye on the SIR exercise. Earlier this week, they said they would “step in” if there was a “mass exclusion” of names, making sure that the process allows for “en masse inclusion and not en masse exclusion.”