With just eight days remaining until the deadline, the Election Commission (EC) is intensifying its efforts to complete the overhaul of Bihar's voter list. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, aimed at cleansing the electoral roll, requires the submission of approximately 46 lakh more enumeration forms to achieve comprehensive coverage.
The EC initiated the SIR to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voter list ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly election in 2025. This involves removing names of deceased voters, individuals who have permanently migrated, and those with duplicate registrations. As of now, the EC has received 6.81 crore enumeration forms, representing 86.32% of the state's 7.89 crore electors. After accounting for deceased, shifted, or duplicate voters, the drive has effectively covered 90.84% of the eligible electorate.
The revision process has revealed significant discrepancies in the voter lists. The EC estimates that over 35 lakh names could be removed from the rolls. This includes 12.5 lakh deceased voters, 17.5 lakh permanently shifted electors, and 5.5 lakh individuals with duplicate registrations. Furthermore, some foreign nationals from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar were found registered as voters. These names will also be removed after verification. The scale of these potential deletions, affecting over 4.5% of the total electorate, has raised concerns about the impact on the upcoming elections.
To bridge the remaining gap and ensure that no eligible voter is left out, the EC is undertaking multiple initiatives. Nearly one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct a third round of door-to-door visits, specifically targeting households where electors were not available during previous rounds. Special camps are being organized in all 5,683 wards across 261 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Bihar to facilitate form submission in urban areas. The EC is also utilizing newspaper advertisements and ground-level outreach to encourage timely submission of enumeration forms.
Voters are encouraged to submit their forms online through the ECINet App or the voter portal. The ECINet platform allows electors to submit forms, check their 2003 electoral data, and connect with their respective BLOs. As of July 15, more than 6.2 crore Enumeration Forms have been uploaded on ECINet. Additionally, a feature has been added allowing electors to check the status of their form submissions. Political parties are also involved in the process, with 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) assisting BLOs and authorized to certify and submit up to 50 EFs per day.
The Special Intensive Revision has faced scrutiny and generated controversy. Opposition leaders have expressed concerns about the large-scale deletions and their potential impact on electoral outcomes. The matter is also under the Supreme Court's scrutiny, with hearings scheduled to further examine the revision process. The court has advised the EC to use Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and voter ID cards for proper verification of voters.
The EC has stated that all forms submitted, whether or not accompanied by full documentation, will be included in the draft electoral roll for Bihar, scheduled to be published on August 1, 2025. The final date for submitting enumeration forms is July 25. With the deadline fast approaching, the Election Commission is urging all eligible voters in Bihar to submit their enumeration forms and participate in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision to ensure an accurate and inclusive voter list for the upcoming elections.
