PATNA: The final electoral roll released by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday indicates that Bihar will have a total electorate of 74 million for the upcoming state assembly elections. This marks a 6% decrease in voter count compared to the previous figure of 79 million on June 24, before the completion of the special intensive revision (SIR). Approximately 4.7 million fewer voters are now registered, although there are still 1.79 million more than the draft roll of 72 million dated August 1, after the deletion of 6.5 million names.
The publication of the final electoral rolls signals the commencement of procedures leading to the announcement of election dates. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his team are expected to visit Bihar around October 5-6 to discuss the logistics further.
As part of the SIR process, another 370,000 names were removed from the draft list due to ineligibility, but 2.15 million new names were added, bringing the total to 74 million. Minor changes to the final figure could still occur as supplementary lists will be released during the election process.
The lower-than-expected number of deletions may affect how political parties react to the outcome of the SIR. The issue of voter roll revisions had garnered significant attention in the lead-up to the elections, slightly overshadowing typical campaign issues. Responses from opposition parties regarding the SIR were relatively subdued compared to previous protests against the process.
Nonetheless, the Election Commission has stated that those eligible who wish to have their names included can still apply until 10 days before the final date for filing nominations. Dissatisfied voters can appeal first to the district magistrate under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and subsequently to the chief electoral officer if necessary.
Initially, the opposition strongly objected to the SIR after the removal of 6.5 million voters. One significant demonstration led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi took place on August 17 in Sasaram, a stronghold for the Dalit community. He was joined by leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), CPI-ML, and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) in rallying against the electoral roll modifications.
