Bihar Draft Electoral Rolls Released: Voter Count Drops by 65 Lakh

Swift Summary

• The Election commission of India (ECI) released Bihar’s draft electoral roll after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
• Voter count dropped by 65 lakh as the January 2025 list, which had 7.89 crore registered voters; current voter count stands at over 7.24 crore.
• reasons cited for missing names include death, dual registrations, migration out of Bihar, and untraceable cases.
• Opposition leaders have raised concerns about inadequate responses from the ECI regarding deletions and potential disenfranchisement.
• District-wise data shows Patna has the highest drop of 3.95 lakh voters; other districts with significant declines include East Champaran, Madhubani, and Gopalganj (over 3 lakh each).
• Voters can submit objections or claims until September 1 to add or delete names with proper documentation as mandated in SIR rules.
• Required documents include proof of residence and birth but exclude Aadhaar and voter ID cards as permissible proof despite Supreme Court suggestions to use them.
• Allegations from opposition parties link SIR revisions to a “backdoor” implementation of NRC; they have approached the Supreme Court for intervention-next hearing scheduled for August 12.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

The significant reduction in voter numbers directly affects electoral participation in bihar-a state where inclusive democratic processes are vital due to its large population base. The trimmed voter roll has sparked concerns around transparency in implementation by opposition leaders who seek clarity on criteria used for exclusions like “untraceable” voters.

While ensuring accuracy in electoral rolls is crucial to eliminating redundancies such as deceased or migrated individuals, discrepancies must be resolved promptly through prescribed appeals mechanisms without infringing on voting rights. Not issuing notices before deletion could violate legal provisions under Electoral representation law if proven.

The issue now intersects policy debates like implementing Aadhaar/Voter ID as verifiable proof-a suggestion floated by civil society groups yet omitted from current guidelines despite judicial input. whether this revision addresses allegations about procedural bias remains uncertain but could set precedents nationwide depending on Supreme Court decisions upcoming mid-August.

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