Bihar adds 21.53 lakh electors in final voter list ahead of assembly polls

The Election Commission of India has released Bihar’s final electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, adding 21.53 lakh electors across the state.

This brings the total number of registered voters in Bihar to approximately 7.46 crore, up from 7.24 crore listed in the draft roll published on Aug 1.

The revision process involved careful scrutiny of claims and objections, with names deleted for reasons such as deaths, relocations, or duplication.

Officials said about 65 lakh names had earlier been removed from the draft list for these reasons, before the inclusion of new eligible voters balanced the numbers.

In Patna district alone, the final roll added 1.63 lakh electors, taking its total to around 48.15 lakh voters across 14 assembly segments. Similar additions were reported in other districts, reflecting widespread voter engagement during the revision period.

The Election Commission has urged voters to verify their names in the final roll through its online portal and voter search facilities. State officials emphasized that the process aims to maintain electoral integrity by ensuring only valid electors are listed.

The updated roll will serve as the basis for the upcoming Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

With over 7.46 crore eligible voters, Bihar remains one of India’s largest electoral states, where political parties are preparing strategies ahead of the polls.

Opposition parties, however, have raised concerns over alleged arbitrary deletions in the revision process and have approached the Supreme Court, seeking greater transparency. Election officials maintain that the SIR exercise was carried out in accordance with established guidelines.

The finalization of the rolls marks a key milestone in Bihar’s election preparations, setting the stage for what is expected to be a closely watched contest later this year.