Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 30: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday released the final electoral roll for poll-bound Bihar as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, a crucial step in the lead-up to the state’s upcoming Assembly elections.
During the voter enumeration phase held between June 24 and July 25, over 7.24 crore electors — out of a total of 7.89 crore — submitted their updated details. However, the final rolls have revealed around 65 lac voters missing from the list.
According to ECI data, the missing entries include 22 lakh deceased voters (2.83%), 36 lakh (4.59%) who had permanently shifted or could not be traced, and seven lac (0.89%) with duplicate enrollments across locations.
This SIR exercise — the first in Bihar in more than two decades — has faced criticism from Opposition parties, who argue that it may disenfranchise a significant number of genuine voters. The ECI, however, has dismissed the allegations, stating that the revision was essential to cleanse the voter rolls and enhance accuracy.
In a significant development, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, will visit Bihar on October 4 and 5 to assess the state’s preparedness for the elections. The visit is expected to include detailed meetings with top administrative, security, and election officials to review logistical and operational readiness.
The timing of the visit — just days after the final roll publication — has added fuel to speculation that the official announcement of election dates could follow shortly after the Commission returns to Delhi.
The term of the current 243-member Bihar Assembly ends on November 22, and as per convention, elections are likely to be conducted before that date. Given logistical and security needs — particularly in view of the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals — the polls are expected to be held in three to four phases, similar to the 2020 elections, which were conducted on October 28, November 3, and November 7, with results declared on November 10.
All eyes are now on the Election Commission's Bihar visit, with an early October poll schedule announcement widely anticipated.