As the month-long first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral roll has concluded, the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday revealed that over 65 lakh electors - nearly 8.3 per cent of the State’s total electorate-had either died, permanently shifted, untraceable or were registered at multiple locations.
According to official data released by the EC, out of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar as of June 24, 2025, enumeration forms were submitted by over 7.24 crore electors, reflecting a 91.69 per cent participation rate. The announcement comes a day before the Supreme Court is set to hear a batch of petitions challenging the EC’s decision to carry out the revision exercise.
The poll body hit out at those who, it claimed were creating an impression that the draft voters’ list to be published in Bihar will be the final roll. The poll authority said it is “not able to understand” that when a full one-month period from August 1 till September 1 is available to point out wrongful inclusion or wrongful exclusion of any name, “why are they creating such a big fuss now?”
“Why not ask their 1.6 lakh booth-level agents to submit claims and objections from August 1 till September 1,” the Commission quipped. Booth-level agents appointed by political parties work with the EC’s booth-level officers in preparing or updating the voters’ list.
“Why are some persons trying to give an impression that the draft list is the final list, which it is not, as per special intensive revision order,” the EC statement said. Various opposition parties in the state, which are going to the polls later this year, have claimed that crores of eligible citizens will be disenfranchised during the roll revision for want of documents. They have also claimed that the ruling BJP will benefit as the state machinery in Bihar will target people opposed to the ruling alliance in the state.
At a joint Press conference with CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD MP Manoj Jha, CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the exercise being undertaken by the EC has become a “citizenship test” and questioned its legality. The BJP hit back at the INDIA bloc parties for their opposition to SIR, alleging they were trying to “rob” Indian democracy on the back of foreign infiltrators.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Election Commission’s drive is aimed at bringing required changes in electoral rolls through transparency. He alleged that the INDIA bloc parties have been winning in places where the presence of infiltrators has brought maximum changes in demography.
The commission, however, found that 22 lakh electors (2.83 per cent) had passed away, while another 36 lakh (4.59 per cent) were either permanently shifted or not found at their listed addresses.
The EC noted that these discrepancies were identified during the enumeration phase conducted from June 24 to July 25. As per the Commission’s explanation, electors who were not found may have become voters in other states, ceased to exist, not returned their forms on time, or expressed unwillingness to remain registered. The final status of these electors will be determined by August 1 after scrutiny by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and genuine voters can still be reinstated during the claims and objection period from August 1 to September 1.
According to the EC, the process marks one of the most extensive voter verification campaigns in the State’s history, with a significant focus on inclusivity and transparency ahead of the high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections.
This large-scale campaign, which began just a few months before the high-stakes Bihar assembly elections, was aimed at ensuring “No Elector Left Behind”, with a focus on first-time voters, urban populations, migrants and vulnerable groups such as the elderly and persons with disabilities.
The final status of these electors will be determined by August 1 after scrutiny by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and genuine voters can still be reinstated during the claims and objection period from August 1 to September 1.
“The initiative also witnessed a strong political response, with all 12 major parties participating. Notably, the number of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) surged by over 16 percent. The CPI(M) saw the most dramatic jump in BLA deployment, up by over 1,000 per cent, followed by CPI(ML) (up 542 per cent) and Congress (up 105 per cent). BJP’s BLAs rose modestly by three per cent (53,000), while parties like RJD and RLSP showed marginal changes. Notably, the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party saw a 22 per cent drop in BLA numbers,” it said.
Noting that digital engagement was one of the key features of the campaign, the poll panel said, “Nearly 29 lakh voters submitted forms via the EC’s website and mobile app. Over 5.7 crore SMS alerts were sent to voters, with the total reaching 10.2 crore throughout the campaign.” Similarly, “Electors whose Enumeration Forms were received were sent repeat SMSs, as an acknowledgement of submission of their form. A total of 10.2 crore SMSs have been sent since the beginning of the exercise,” the poll panel said. Young citizens turning 18 by October 1, 2025, are being encouraged to register from August 1 to September 1.
“EC will conduct special campaigns across Bihar from August 1 to September 1 2025, to enrol such young electors, so that all eligible electors can be enrolled and no one is left out,” the poll body said. Volunteers and officials are assisting senior citizens and PWD voters in completing documentation. The draft roll will be made available both digitally and in print on August 1. Any inclusions, deletions or corrections must be submitted during the one-month window. No name will be removed without a formal speaking order and appeals can be made under Section 24 of the RP Act, 1950.