52 lakh anomalies flagged by ECI ahead of Bihar’s August draft voter list release
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New Delhi: As part of its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the Election Commission of India has discovered serious inconsistencies in Bihar's voter lists, revealing that more than 52 lakh electors are either deceased, have moved constituencies, or are enrolled in numerous locations.
The results, which were made public in a press release on July 22, highlight the extent of the cleanup ahead of the August 1 publishing of the draft electoral roll.
According to the Commission, 18.66 lakh voters have been confirmed deceased, 26.01 lakh have permanently shifted to other constituencies, and 7.5 lakh are enrolled at more than one location. An additional 11,484 electors remain untraceable. These anomalies represent 6.62 per cent of Bihar’s total electorate, which stood at 7.89 crore as of June 24, 2025.
The SIR process has mobilised an extensive network of nearly one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs), four lakh volunteers, and 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by district presidents of 12 major political parties. Their coordinated effort aims to ensure that all eligible voters are accurately represented in the upcoming draft roll, IANS reported.
So far, 7.16 crore Enumeration Forms have been received, covering 90.67 per cent of the electorate, with 90.37 per cent already digitised. However, 21.35 lakh forms are still pending, prompting the Commission to extend a one-month window—from August 1 to September 1—for the public to file objections regarding additions, deletions, or corrections.
Election officials, including Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Electoral Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and BLOs, have held meetings with political party representatives to share detailed lists of affected voters. The collaborative approach is intended to enhance transparency and ensure that the final rolls reflect genuine voter data.
The Commission’s findings come amid heightened political sensitivity around voter disenfranchisement and electoral integrity. While the clean-up is being framed as a technical exercise, its implications could be far-reaching, especially in constituencies with high rates of duplication or migration.
With the draft rolls set to be published in less than two weeks, the Election Commission is urging citizens to participate actively in the verification process. The final electoral roll, expected later this year, will play a crucial role in shaping Bihar’s democratic landscape ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
