Skip to main content
logo

InsightRush

Video
1/3
politics

Bihar Final Electoral Roll 2025: Key Highlights from Special Intensive Revision (SIR): 7.24 crore electors after initial deletions of 65 lakh names.

By Gireesh Vasishta
Bihar Final Electoral Roll 2025: Key Highlights from Special Intensive Revision (SIR): 7.24 crore electors after initial deletions of 65 lakh names.

Final Deletions Breakdown (from additional 3.66 lakh): Over 2 lakh due to migration, ~60,000 due to death, and ~80,000 due to duplication—leaving negligible (if any) removals for citizenship or foreign status.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) published Bihar's final electoral roll on September 30, 2025, following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise—the first in 22 years since 2003. This comprehensive update, aimed at enhancing voter list accuracy ahead of the November 2025 Assembly elections, resulted in a 6% reduction in the total number of electors, dropping from 7.89 crore (as of June 24, 2025) to 7.42 crore. While the process required voters to submit forms and documents to verify eligibility (including citizenship for post-2003 registrants), sources indicate that citizenship issues played no role in 99% of deletions, which were primarily due to deaths, migration, and duplications.

Revision Process Overview

  • Launch Date: June 24, 2025.

  • Draft Roll (August 1, 2025): 7.24 crore electors after initial deletions of 65 lakh names.

  • Post-Draft Changes:

    • Deletions: Additional 3.66 lakh names removed from the draft (total deletions: ~68.5 lakh across the process).

    • Additions: 21.53 lakh new eligible voters added (including 14.1 lakh from the 18-19 age group).

  • Breakdown of Initial Deletions (Draft Stage):

  • Final Deletions Breakdown (from additional 3.66 lakh): Over 2 lakh due to migration, ~60,000 due to death, and ~80,000 due to duplication—leaving negligible (if any) removals for citizenship or foreign status.

  • Coverage: Achieved 99.8% form collection from existing voters; involved ~1 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and inputs from political parties.Vogaan Men's T-Shirt and Shorts Set | Top & Shorts Night Suits Set | Night Wear for Men

The SIR required all 7.89 crore existing voters to submit enumeration forms, with post-2003 registrants providing documents like birth proofs, parent details, or Aadhaar to confirm eligibility under the Citizenship Act, 1955. This sparked controversy, with Opposition parties (e.g., Congress, RJD) alleging it was a covert citizenship verification drive targeting minorities and deprived castes. The matter is sub-judice in the Supreme Court.

New Voters: 21.53 lakh added, with a focus on youth (14.1 lakh aged 18-19).

District Variations: Patna saw a net increase of 1.63 lakh (total: 48.15 lakh); East Champaran added 47,188 net.

Political Reactions Opposition (Congress/RJD): State Congress President Rajesh Kumar raised "serious concerns" over deletions exceeding additions, questioning ECI's impartiality. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav highlighted additions of "lakhs of new names" from deprived communities. Social activist Yogendra Yadav questioned how 4.6 lakh new voters (above 25 years) were added despite draft exclusions.

ECI Defense: Emphasized the exercise's role in cleaning the rolls without disclosing foreigner-specific deletions, countering claims of bias.

Ruling Side (NDA/BJP): Welcomed the accuracy boost, with no major public statements on deletions.