Bihar Voter List Drive May Drop 6.5 Million Names, Sparks Legal and Political Storm

Nearly 6.5 million voters may be removed from Bihar’s rolls following a large-scale verification drive. Critics cite fears of disenfranchisement and legal ambiguity, while the Election Commission defends the process. A Supreme Court hearing on July 28 could shape the outcome. The final voter list is due in September.

Bihar’s electoral rolls could see nearly 6.5 million names removed following the first phase of a massive month-long verification campaign that concluded on Saturday. The process, part of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR), aims to cleanse the voter list ahead of the upcoming state assembly polls.

The potential exclusions—equivalent to around 9% of Bihar’s electorate—include 2.2 million deceased individuals, 700,000 duplicate entries, and 3.5 million names of people who either migrated or could not be verified during door-to-door checks. Another 120,000 enumeration forms were left incomplete past the submission deadline.

While the ECI has not released updated figures due to data compilation delays, it confirmed the exclusions in a Friday bulletin. A complete update is expected in the next two days. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1, followed by a month-long window for objections and claims.

Critics have raised alarm over the drive’s scale, questioning the documentation requirements, especially for those born after 2004, who must submit identity proof along with documents of both parents. Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards are currently not accepted as proof of citizenship under the new rules.

The verification effort has led to nationwide protests and a Supreme Court challenge, with a crucial hearing scheduled for July 28. The ECI argues that the exercise is essential to ensure fair elections, particularly in areas prone to migration and alleged foreign voter entries.

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Over 400,000 volunteers and officials conducted the verification, digitising forms from over 72 million voters. However, many entries lack supporting documents, leaving their eligibility in limbo. The final electoral roll will be released on September 30, ahead of the state polls, with implications for future drives in five other states.