NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India Tuesday released the final voter list for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, with over 7.24 crore names. The list was published after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise aimed at ensuring greater accuracy in the electoral rolls.
The SIR exercise, conducted from June 24 to July 25, resulted in the removal of approximately 65 lakh voters who were either deceased, had shifted elsewhere, or were listed in more than one place. This includes 22 lakh deceased voters, 36 lakh voters who had permanently shifted or could not be traced, and 7 lakh voters found enrolled in more than one place.
Over 7.24 crore voters are included in the final list, while approximately 65 lakh voters were removed due to various reasons. About 16.59 lakh eligible citizens submitted Form-6 for inclusion in the electoral roll, while 2.17 lakh voters applied for deletion of names. Around 3 lakh voters were issued notices for not submitting required documents.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, will visit Bihar on October 4 and 5 to review preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections. The visit is expected to assess the readiness of administrative, security, and logistical arrangements.
The current term of the 243-member Bihar Assembly ends on November 22, making the elections imminent. Speculation has it that the formal announcement of the Assembly elections could follow within days after the EC team’s visit.
The final electoral roll will be available online on the Election Commission’s official website. Physical copies will also be shared with District Election Officers-cum-District Magistrates and recognized national and state-level political parties.
The publication of the final voter list marks a significant step towards the conduct of free and fair Assembly elections in Bihar. With the festival season approaching, careful planning will be required to ensure smooth voting processes.
Agencies