Bihar SIR: 99.8% of 65 Lakh Voter Deletions Go Unchallenged so Far

Since June 24, Bihar’s electoral roll update has quietly transformed into one of the largest and most stringent processes in the state’s electoral history. As part of the first time launched Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the Election Commission of India (ECI) removed more than 65 lakh names from the state’s voter rolls in its draft roll published on August 1.

This sweeping deletion effort, aimed at cleaning the rolls of ineligible, duplicate, or deceased voters, has left citizens and observers closely watching what follows. The official process for claims and objections began on August 1, giving voters a 30-day window to verify or challenge their status.

Now, 13 days into that window, an emerging picture is starting to take shape—one marked by rapid new additions, minimal corrections, and a notable silence from political stakeholders.

65 lakh deletions across 243 constituencies

The deletions cut across all 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar, averaging 26,748 names removed per constituency. While the ECI has not detailed the methodology behind each deletion, reports indicate that no individual notice or prior inquiry was issued in such cases. Instead, the burden of proof shifted to voters themselves—many of whom may not yet know their names are missing.

This procedural shift means that reinstatement requires affected voters to proactively file a claim or objection through the official process. But so far, that response has been minimal.

Claims and objections: 0.2% response so far

Between August 1 and August 13, only 17,665 claims and objections were filed statewide—0.2% of the total deletions. Put differently, over 99.8% of the 65 lakh voters removed have not had their deletions challenged.

Despite an uptick in the second week, daily claims and objections have struggled to cross even 3,700 on the best-performing day, August 13. In contrast, several earlier days saw daily new voter additions well above 8,000.

New additions surge: 74,525 applications filed

In contrast to the low correction rate, the number of new voter applications has shown strong and consistent growth. Over the same 13-day period, the ECI recorded 74,525 Form 6 submissions—applications to register new voters, typically youth turning 18 or first-time registrants.

The application rate accelerated steadily after the first two days:

• August 3: 1,151 new applicants
• August 6: 4,272 in one day
• August 8: 8,543 in one day
• August 13: 10,934—the highest single-day tally

This means that for every one claim or objection filed, the system processed more than four new voter applications.

Average of 306 voters added per seat

The cumulative total of 74,525 new applications averages out to 306 voters added per assembly seat. This figure, while mathematically straightforward, reveals a consistent spread of new additions across the state—mirroring the earlier deletion distribution of approximately 26,748 per constituency.

The 306-per-seat figure presents a state-wide average that has drawn interest in electoral circles. Whether this reflects organic participation, administrative uniformity, or structured outreach remains a matter for observation, but the numbers alone suggest a consistent tempo in new voter addition across regions.

Political parties stay silent in claims process

While opposition parties have mounted strong public protests against the SIR process—organising protests and accusing the ECI of “vote theft”—their procedural actions tell a different story. Despite challenging the process in the Supreme Court, no political party filed a single claim or objection between August 1 and 13, according to ECI records.

This procedural inaction may be a strategic choice to seek the process’s annulment, but it has left the ongoing voter list revision unopposed by key stakeholders. Consequently, formal corrections are being pursued almost exclusively by individual citizens at a very low rate, tilting the balance of activity overwhelmingly toward new additions rather than restoring the removed names.

A changed electorate in the making

With 65 lakh names removed, 74,525 new added, and fewer than 18,000 corrections filed, Bihar’s draft electoral roll is undergoing a fundamental reshaping. As the September 30 deadline for final publication of the rolls approaches, the question is less about intent and more about impact; who remains, who is added, and who is still missing?

The window for filing objections and making claims remains open, and the coming days will determine whether the current trends hold—or shift with public awareness and outreach.

At a glance: numbers that define the revision

• Names deleted from draft electoral rolls: 65,00,000
• Claims and objections received (Aug 1–13): 17,665
• % of deletions challenged: 0.272%
• % unchallenged deletions: 99.728%
• New voter applications received (Form 6) till August 13: 74,525
• Average new voters per constituency: 306
• Claims/objections filed by political parties: 0

Numbers without noise

With more than 99.8% of deletions remaining unchallenged, and a rapidly growing list of new applicants, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is steadily altering Bihar’s voter base. No accusations, no official controversies—just a quiet but measurable shift captured in daily numbers.

As the process continues toward finalisation, the real test may lie not only in courtrooms or press conferences—but in how many citizens take steps to verify their presence, assert their status, and claim their vote.

Courtesy: Sabrang India