Bihar SIR: 3.95 lakh voters not included in Patna

Three lakh voters missing from the draft roll in each of the three districts of East Champaran, Madhubani and Gopalganj; INDIA bloc leaders said that the Election Commission did not give any satisfactory answer to the questions raised by them

The Election Commission of India on Friday (August 1, 2025) published Bihar’s draft electoral roll after the completion of the first phase of its Special Intensive Revision exercise.

According to data shared by the office of Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, the State capital Patna has the highest number of 3.95 lakh voters not included in the list. There are more than 3 lakh voters missing from the draft roll in each of the three districts of East Champaran, Madhubani and Gopalganj. Another 10 districts have seen a drop of 2 lakh voters each, while 13 districts saw a decline of more than one lakh voters in the draft roll.

Leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc in the State said the ECI failed to answer their queries about the names left out in the draft list.

Detailed data needed: INDIA

At a meeting of political parties organised by the Bihar CEO, INDIA bloc leaders asked how many voters whose names are in the 2003 voter list — when the last SIR was conducted — had filled in the current SIR enumeration form, seeking the total number and list of names. They also asked for the registered voter list published on January 7, 2025 to be provided in a pen drive or CD, with the data in an Assembly-wise format. In a memorandum submitted to the Bihar CEO, the INDIA bloc also asked for a detailed Assembly-wise list of those voters who have been removed from the final draft, as well as those who had not yet filled in the enumeration form by the evening of August 2.

Noting that the ECI has said that over 22 lakh registered voters have died, the Opposition leaders asked which documents were taken from the relatives of the deceased voters. Similarly, they asked on what basis a number of voters have been declared “untraceable”.

Unanswered questions

Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan said that there was a clear provision in the Election Representation Act that in case of removal of someone’s name from the voter list, a notice should be issued to the affected voter. Was this followed in the case of 65 lakh voters whose names have been removed from the list, he asked.

“Has this number come to light in just six months after the final voter list published on January 7, 2025?” the INDIA bloc leaders asked in their memorandum. “How many voters were provided with receipts during the SIR process in Bihar?“ they added.

“No satisfactory answer was given by the Election Commission on this. The INDIA bloc asked the Election Commission how many foreign nationals’ names and addresses have been found in the voter list so far. No answer was given to this either,” Mr. Gagan said.

Apart from Mr. Gagan, others present at the meeting included Kumar Parvez of the CPI (ML), Sanjay Bharti of the Congress, and Anil Kumar of the Janata Dal (United), as well as representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party and other political parties.