Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has recently alleged that his name is missing from the draft voter list released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Bihar. The ECI released the draft electoral roll for Bihar on August 1, 2025, following a month-long Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Yadav raised concerns about how he would contest the upcoming assembly elections if his name was absent from the list, especially since he had filled out the enumeration form during the SIR. He also highlighted that approximately 65 lakh names, about 8.5% of the voters, had been removed from the list across various assembly constituencies. Yadav criticized the ECI for not providing addresses, booth numbers, or EPIC numbers, making it difficult to verify the removed names. He characterized the Election Commission as a "commission for election omission".
In response to Yadav's claims, the Election Commission refuted the allegations, stating that his name is indeed present on the voter list. The ECI clarified that Tejashwi Yadav's name is listed at Serial No. 416 in the draft roll. The ECI has termed Yadav's claims as "mischievous".
The ECI has published the draft electoral roll after completing the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The draft list is available on the ECI portal, and booth-wise draft lists have been shared with all political parties by the District Election Officers (DEOs). The SIR aimed to verify and update voter records across all 38 districts of Bihar. During the SIR, over 7.24 crore electors in Bihar filled out enumeration forms.
The commission has also addressed concerns about the removal of names from the voter list, clarifying that no names will be removed without a valid reason. The ECI has provided a one-month period, from August 1 to September 1, for individuals or political parties to submit claims and objections regarding additions, deletions, or corrections to the draft electoral roll. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will address any claims or objections raised during this period.
The ECI has stated that approximately 65 lakh fewer voters are listed in the draft electoral roll compared to the previous list. The commission attributes this reduction to factors such as deaths, voters registered in multiple locations, permanent migration out of Bihar, and untraceable voters. According to the ECI, 2.2 million deletions were due to deaths, 3.6 million due to permanent shifts or absence, and 0.7 million due to double registrations.
The opposition INDIA bloc has criticized the ECI, alleging a lack of transparency regarding the excluded names and requesting detailed assembly-wise lists of removed voters. They have also raised concerns about the documents required for deceased voters. Concerns have also been raised about the inclusion of a citizenship test as part of the revision.
The ECI has urged all eligible voters to check their names on the draft list and submit Form 6 along with a declaration form if their names are missing. Special rules apply to first-time voters born after July 1, 1987, who must provide proof of their or their parents' Indian citizenship. The commission has deployed over 90,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to assist with the verification process and organize special camps to receive applications for claims and objections.
The final electoral roll, which will be used for the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, will be published after the verification process is completed.
