Final Bihar electoral roll published on ECI website

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially released the final electoral roll for Bihar, marking the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which the ECI claims reviewed and addressed all claims and objections made in response to the earlier draft voters' list.

The announcement was made by the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Bihar on the office’s Facebook page, tagging the ECI.

"In the light of Special Intensive Revision, the final electoral roll has been published on 30.09.2025. People can look up their names by clicking on the link voters.eci.gov.in," the post read.

While final state-wide figures are still awaited, the draft roll had recorded 7.24 crore voters, after the removal of approximately 65 lakh names labelled as "absent", "shifted", or "dead".

The Patna district administration confirmed that across its 14 assembly segments, the voter count has now reached 48.15 lakh, showing an increase of 1.63 lakh since the publication of the draft list on 1 August.

The number of female voters stood at 22.75 lakh, while Digha constituency recorded the highest number of electors at 4.56 lakh.

The timing of this publication is significant, as the Bihar Assembly elections are expected to be announced imminently. More critically, the updated voter list comes amid escalating political tension and accusations of 'vote chori' (election fraud), particularly from Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc, led by the Congress.

Several parties have moved the Supreme Court, claiming the SIR process was being misused to unjustly delete names of voters perceived to be less likely to support the ruling BJP-led NDA.

They argue that this could disenfranchise large segments of the electorate, especially from marginalised and minority communities, raising concerns over the integrity of the electoral process.

In response to these accusations, BJP leaders, including Union home minister Amit Shah, have strongly defended the revision drive, stating: "SIR was essential to flush out 'infiltrators' whom the INDIA bloc wanted to protect and give voting rights," Shah said.

The accuracy and transparency of the final electoral roll will play a crucial role in ensuring public confidence in the upcoming elections.

With voter deletion and inclusion now central to the political discourse, the electoral roll is more than just an administrative document — it is a litmus test for democratic legitimacy in one of India’s most politically sensitive states.

With PTI inputs