Bihar's Electoral Roll Revision: Over 65 Lakh Forms Missing Ahead of Assembly Elections
Significant Drop in Registered Voters
In Patna, the Election Commission has reported that more than 65 lakh enumeration forms were excluded from the draft electoral rolls during the special intensive revision (SIR) process. This revision has resulted in a decrease in the total number of registered voters from approximately 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Patna recorded the highest number of excluded forms at 3.95 lakh, followed by Madhubani with 3.52 lakh, East Champaran at 3.16 lakh, and Gopalganj with 3.10 lakh. Other districts such as Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, and Purnia also reported significant numbers of forms not included.
In contrast, Sheikhpura district had only 26,256 forms excluded, while Sheohar, Arwal, Munger, and Khagaria reported slightly higher figures.
Prior to the SIR, the registered voter count in Bihar was noted as 7,89,69,844. However, the Election Commission indicated that 22,34,501 individuals listed in the electoral rolls were deceased, while 36.28 lakh had either moved out of the state or could not be located at their registered addresses. Additionally, 7.01 lakh voters were found to be registered in multiple locations.
The draft electoral rolls are now accessible online and in all 38 districts, with political party representatives receiving printouts for the claims and objections phase, which will last until September 1. The final voter list will be published thereafter.
The Election Commission has shared booth-wise draft lists for all 90,712 polling booths across 243 assembly constituencies with political parties, as stated in their announcement.
To ensure comprehensive coverage, the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar, along with district electoral officers, electoral registration officers, and numerous volunteers, have worked diligently to include every eligible voter in the draft electoral roll.
Opposition parties, including Congress and RJD, have expressed concerns that the revision process may favor the ruling NDA in the upcoming elections. They have raised questions regarding the details provided in the draft electoral rolls.
Senior Congress leader Brajesh Prasad Munan submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer, requesting clarification on how many forms were accepted without proper documentation and the number of new voters added during the SIR.
The Congress memorandum also inquired about the identification of illegal immigrants and the status of their names on the voter list, as well as the number of forms rejected for technical reasons.
Similarly, RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan requested that the electoral rolls be provided in a digital format for each assembly segment.
The BJP, which is in power at the national level and shares governance in Bihar, has claimed that a considerable number of foreign nationals, particularly from Bangladesh and Rohingya communities, are residing in the state. They allege that many of these individuals have been improperly registered as voters, and the opposition is resisting their removal due to electoral considerations.
The publication of the draft rolls has initiated the claims and objections process, allowing voters to address any wrongful deletions until September 1.
During the initial phase of SIR, voters received enumeration forms from booth-level officers or agents nominated by political parties, which they were required to return with their signatures and acceptable identification documents.